U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

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.

Western Europe Diesel Car Market Share, 1999–2005
Graph showing the diesel car market share from 1999 through the fist six months of 2005 for various countries in Western Europe

* First six months of 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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