What Scandal? Diesel Sales Continue to Grow
Despite the diesel emissions scandal, sales of diesel vehicles are still on the rise.
A new report from the Diesel Technology Forum shows registrations of diesel vehicles increased by over 280,000 in the U.S. last year. That’s despite all the negative press surrounding the Volkswagen diesel scandal and other automakers that are currently under investigation. Leading the way in total diesel vehicle registrations for 2016 was the state of Texas, followed by California and Florida. Rounding out the top 10 were Washington, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Colorado, Oregon, Georgia, and Illinois.
The analysis comes from the latest Vehicles in Operation (VIO) data compiled by IHS Automotive.
SEE ALSO: Demand For VW TDI Vehicles Strong Despite Diesel Scandal
Some states saw a noticeable increase in diesel registrations, with Vermont topping the list with a 35.6-percent growth from 2015 to 2016. Maine had 29.3 percent more registrations, while New Hampshire came in third with 12.1 percent. The rest of the top 10 includes Michigan (10.4 percent), District of Columbia (8.5 percent), Wisconsin (8.2 percent), Oregon (7.8 percent), Hawaii (7.1 percent), Montana (6.7 percent), and Washington (6.3 percent).
The growth is more impressive when you take into account there were 25 percent fewer choices in the market last year compared to 2015. According to the Diesel Technology Forum, helping fuel the increase is the expanding popularity and increasing options in the light-duty pickup segment.
It’s a possibility we’ll keep seeing increases in the coming years with the addition of new models like the Chevrolet Cruze diesel and Ford F-150 diesel. Mazda is also expected to finally introduce its Skyactiv diesel CX-5 in the U.S. The market, however, is missing Mercedes-Benz’s vehicles as the German automaker previously confirmed it will not be bringing diesel vehicles to the U.S. this year.
In total, there are more than eight million diesel passenger vehicles currently in the U.S.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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The article indicates that the increase was in "passenger vehicles", and "helping fuel the increase is the expanding popularity and increasing options in the light-duty pickup segment." The only increased options in the light-duty pickup segment were the GM mid-size twins. I'm really questioning the number of diesel sales of those two.
Now the prices of diesel and gas are about the same so no savings there anymore. Most newer diesel cars and trucks give better mpg, so if you drive a lot, maybe around 100 miles a day you will save money. The bad is that diesel car cost more along with maintenance and repairs and there are very few diesel mechanics in the US.