Diesel sales in Europe continued their downward spiral in the first half of the year, declining by 16 percent across the region to 3.12 million units.
This accounts for 36.5 percent of the total market, down from 42.5 percent in the first half of 2017, according to Reuters which cites the International Energy Agency.
“The disaffection towards diesel engine cars is spreading all over Europe,” the International Energy Agency said.
The sales decline is even steeper in countries like the United Kingdom, where the diesel share of the market fell by 30 percent.
In Germany, traditionally one of the world’s biggest diesel car producers, diesel sales accounted for the 31.1 percent of the total market share, down from 41.3 percent for the same period last year.
Europe has been the world’s biggest market for diesel vehicles for over three decades but buyer concerns over pollution combined with governments seeking to reduce sales of cars with combustion engines and the VW emissions scandal contributed to the diesel sales’ sharp decline.
Major European cities like Berlin, London and Paris have also announced independent diesel bans in a bid to fight pollution. In addition, more and more manufacturers withdraw diesel-powered models from their lineups or stop the development of new engines.
