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

Vehicle Technologies Program

Fact #413: February 27, 2006
Diesels Claim Nearly Half of the Market in Western Europe

Sales of diesel cars in Western Europe were 49.4% of the market in 2005. A shortage of tax-saving diesel particulate filters in Germany caused diesel sales to decline in that country or the overall diesel market share could have reached 50%. Most of the other countries in Western Europe sold a greater share of diesels in 2005 than in previous years.

Western Europe Diesel Car Market Share, 1999-2005
Graph showing the percentage of diesel car market share in Western Europe from 1999 through 2005.

Supporting Information

Western Europe Diesel Car Sales Shares, 1999-2005
  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Belgium 54.3% 56.7% 62.6% 64.2% 68.3% 69.9% 72.6%
France 44.1% 49.0% 56.2% 63.2% 67.4% 69.2% 69.1%
Germany 22.4% 30.4% 34.6% 38.0% 39.8% 44.0% 42.7%
Italy 29.1% 33.7% 36.6% 43.6% 48.7% 58.4% 58.5%
Norway 8.2% 9.0% 13.3% 17.5% 23.2% 27.0% 39.2%
Spain 51.7% 53.1% 52.5% 57.3% 60.4% 65.1% 67.7%
Switzerland 6.6% 9.2% 13.3% 17.8% 21.5% 25.9% 28.1%
United Kingdom 13.8% 14.1% 17.8% 23.5% 27.3% 32.5% 36.8%
Total 28.4% 32.3% 36.0% 40.4% 43.6% 48.3% 49.4%

Note: Total includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Source: Automotive Industry Data Newsletter, Nos. 0102, 0302, 0501, and 0602. Original source: AID/Industry sources.

 

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