There must be a group of gasoline engine enthusiasts conspiring to kill off diesel because those oil burners just can't seem to avoid being in the spotlight for their crimes against humanity. If it isn't German or American automakers cheating on diesel emissions tests, then it's automakers colluding to fund studies that test what diesel fumes do to humans and monkeys. And then there's the fact that cities across Europe are banning the technology one municipality at a time.
Well, according to Auto Guide, the ploy against diesel may have worked because a study by JATO Dynamics has found that registrations of diesel cars in Europe are in a tailspin. Unlike the niche it holds in America, diesel technology has been a staple of European roads, but last year alone saw registrations of diesel vehicles drop by 7.9 percent to 6.76 million cars. That's still 43.7% of the European market, but it's worth noting that European auto registrations also grew last year by 3.1% to 15.57 million units. The increase in overall vehicle registration could be hiding a larger dip in diesel registrations, but given the fact that automaker after automaker is pulling the plug on diesel, the issue could be on the supply end rather than due to demand.
Interestingly, the US could also become the region that sees a slight resurgence of diesels. Despite the fact that automakers like Mercedes have sworn off selling oil burners in America, Ford and Chevrolet have reintroduced diesel engines into their most popular vehicles on sale in the USA, the F-150 and Silverado 1500, in order to combat rigid fleet fuel economy standards that require automakers to resort to using diesel tech (or mild hybridization if you're Ram) to clear the bar. Given the sheer amount of trucks both automakers sell, if the take rate is high on these diesels, it could mean the US sweeps in and makes up for Europe's dip.
Given the dirty image that diesels are gaining throughout the world, it's unlikely that other segments, most notably the crossover segment, will get diesels before electrification, though we've been surprised in the past.
