A new course is crossed. For two months, the share of diesel engines in sales of new passenger cars fell below 40%: 39.83% in March, and 39.97% in April, bringing the average to 40% over the first four month of 2018, according to data compiled by AAA Data for the CCFA (Committee of French Automobile Manufacturers).
An impressive fall, marking a clear acceleration since the beginning of the year: the proportion was still 45% in December, and 47.3% over the whole of 2017 , far from the 73% observed in 2012. For the moment, for lack of a real alternative electric or hybrid, it is the gasoline that benefits from this disenchantment, with a share of 53.4% of sales in the first quarter ( 47.3% over the same period of 2017).
Corporate fleets also affected
“The movement was launched several years ago and accelerated with the scandal of the dieselgate, the decisions of some municipalities to ban it in the near future, or those of some manufacturers to remove it from their offer,” said Meissa Tall, at Deloitte. All these elements may discourage motorists, fearing for the future value of resale of their vehicle.
In this case, individuals were the first to turn away from this fuel: they were only 25% to adopt it in April, according to AAA Data. But business fleets, long spared by the trend, also begin to be affected. According to the Corporate Vehicle Observatory, diesel accounted for 81% of BtoB sales in the first quarter, 5 points lower than in the first three months of 2017.
All the Europe concerned
The rebalancing of taxation between diesel and gasoline, which continued on 1 January, may have also played a role in this disaffection: taxes on diesel increased by 7.6 cents, against only 3.9 cents for gasoline. As a result, the difference between the two fuels is only 8 to 10 cents, against 25 cents two years ago. What makes diesel vehicles more difficult to make profitable – even if, less CO2 emitters , they support less malus while the grid has significantly increased at the beginning of the year.
France is not the only one to be struck by this tumble: according to the ACEA (Association of European manufacturers), the share of diesel fell to 37.9% on average in the first quarter, against 44.8% on the first quarter. 2017. “But in our opinion, given its benefits, it will retain a 30% share,” commented Meissa Tall. A forecast that, among experts in the sector, is among the most optimistic.
After Toyota in March, Nissan has also decided to no longer offer diesel engines in Europe – however specify schedule.