Fact #386: August 22, 2005
Diesel Car Sales Continue to Thrive in Western Europe

Sales from the first half of 2005 indicate that almost half (49%) of all new cars sold in Western Europe are fueled by diesel. Analysts say that the 50% mark might have been reached for Western Europe as a whole, if Germany did not have a shortage of diesel particulate filters that caused Germany's share of diesel sales to decline. Most countries in Western Europe continued to report increases in diesel market share in 2005.

Supporting Information

Western Europe Diesel Passenger Car Market Share, 1999–2005

	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005*
Belgium	54.3%	56.7%	62.6%	64.2%	68.3%	69.9%	72.0%
France	44.1%	49.0%	56.2%	63.2%	67.4%	69.2%	69.8%
Germany	22.4%	30.4%	34.6%	38.0%	39.8%	44.0%	42.1%
Italy	29.1%	33.7%	36.6%	43.6%	48.7%	58.5%	59.4%
Norway	8.2%	9.0%	13.3%	17.5%	23.2%	28.1%	34.6%
Spain	51.7%	53.1%	52.5%	57.3%	60.4%	65.1%	66.7%
Switzerland	6.6%	9.2%	13.3%	17.8%	21.5%	26.1%	29.0%
United Kingdom	13.8%	14.1%	17.8%	23.5%	27.3%	32.5%	34.8%
Total	28.4%	32.3%	36.0%	40.4%	43.6%	48.3%	49.0%
* First six months of 2005. Note: Total includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Belgium data for 2004 and 2005 also includes Luxembourg data. Source: Automotive Industry Data Newsletter, Nos. 0102, 0302, 0501, and 0514. Original source: AID/Industry sources.

 

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