High fuel prices trigger record diesel market share in UK
Here in the U.S. when fuel prices go up a few people buy smaller, more efficient vehicles. Most however just complain and demand that politicians do something about price gouging. Over in England, as fuel prices have continued to climb to over $8/gallon drivers are opting for more and more diesel engines. In November 2007, diesel market share hit an all-time high in the UK at 45.3 percent. It's estimated that diesels will account for 40 percent of all new car sales at the end of the year.
[Source: What Car?]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dad 1:21PM (12/09/2007)
"Here in the U.S. when fuel prices go up a few people buy smaller, more efficient vehicles. Most however just complain and demand that politicians do something about price gouging"
How true! In the USA it is always someone elses fault and someone else's responsibility to correct the fuel cost problem.
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snakesausage 1:27PM (12/09/2007)
Do they know something that we don't??
I cannot wait for the clean diesels to become available in the US. I want a Wrangler with a 2.8L CRD!
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Phil L. 2:13PM (12/09/2007)
Hmmmm... I thought that diesel was already at 50%+ in the rest of Europe. Why is the UK behind?
Meanwhile, where's my diesel minivan in the US? I gave up on a BlueTec Grand Caravan after the DCX split...
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justin 2:31PM (12/09/2007)
I'm probably gonna need two cars next year. Where are the freaking diesels already?
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dp 3:03PM (12/09/2007)
I would trade all three of my gas vehicles on three with turbo diesels if they were available in the US. Bring us a diesel Rabbit, Volkswagen! Also a Passat. Not just a corny Jetta. For trucks, I'll wait until the new Cummins half ton Dodge appears. I would however like a Tacoma diesel as well! Anyone else?
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rgseidl 4:33PM (12/09/2007)
@ Phil L -
(a) diesel fuel does not enjoy as much of a tax advantage in the UK as it does in some other European countries.
(b) UK income tax laws favor compensation in kind, e.g. a company car. In addition to picking up the tab for the depreciation, this means employers typically reimburse employees for operating costs incurred on business-related travel, which may include their commute. In that context, there is much less incentive to select a diesel, unless the fleet manager insists on one.
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Ernie 6:18PM (12/09/2007)
Snakesausage said:
"Do they know something that we don't??"
Apparently, they know that the way towards encouraging the public to use less fuel is to place a 250% tax on fuel.
I don't understand where you got lost on "$8 a gallon for gas". That kind of talk would make most Americans either wet their pants, or set fire to Congress and shoot Congressmen as the run from the building. And possibly both.
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T2 7:57PM (12/09/2007)
First the UK should get with the program and start selling gasoline by the litre. Price increases are much more palatable on a litre of fuel as against being amplified four and a half times for the gallon.
Second this idea of fleet cars as a form of employee compensation is not a good idea because when fleet managers make decisions they effectively mask what the population would choose on their own dollar. The bottom line is that the 'wrong' cars get built and disseminated. This puts manufacturers out of the loop for the more quality concious buyer.
T2
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mike 8:48AM (12/10/2007)
That's a beautiful, uh, European Focus?
With a Diesel?
Why isn't that for sale in the US.
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Phil L. 1:26PM (12/13/2007)
Two reasons:
- Ford can't likely sell the European Focus (with a better design than what we get in the US) at a reasonable price. Europeans are willing to pay a premium price for a small, quality car. Americans, traditionally, will not. So we get the older, cheaper design.
- This diesel engine can't yet meet US emissions standards.
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Chris 3:10PM (12/14/2007)
So amortize the design across two continents versus 1 and lower the overall cost of the design.
Detroit is so *&^%#@ stupid for NOT selling the same small cars here that they sell in Europe with diesel options as well. In fact - I can't believe (well yes I can) that Europe and the USA doesn't unify their safety and emissions standards. I can believe it b/c that would let in more imports (not owned by the big 3) and Detroit (Big 3 and the UAW) doesn't want that to happen.
I'm so tired of our "free" (i.e. not really free) markets standing between what I want and what is available!!!!
I guess I'll protest Detroit by digging my '65 Beetle out of the shed and putting it back on the road.
Seriously - we have bought small imports for years now and will continue to do so. I frankly wouldn't mind seeing the Big 3 becoming the small three and thus losing their political power over the rest of us. Only Saturn looks like they might be getting the message by selling a few of the Opels here.
GM: make all dealers selling GM products GM dealers instead of Pontiac/GMC/Buick dealers vs Chevy/Corvette/Caddy dealers. Make them all the same - GM dealers. Then let Pontiac sell us Holdens (all of 'em) and keep the @#*^ Detroit stylists away from them. Let GMC sell the trucks. Let Chevy sell the SUVs. Let Saturn sell all of the Opels here (again keep those Detroit bafoons away from them!). Let Buick sell their unique vehicles. Let Caddy and Saab sell their unique vehicles. Let Geo sell us Asian compacts - a nice range of them.
Eliminate all the rebadging...
FORD: Merge all of your dealers in to one network. Mercury sells European imports. Ford sells what they sell now. Volvo the same. Whatever other European products are owned by Ford could be sold at all the dealers by special order. No extra cost, just not stocked...
Let the free market decide which dealers flourish and which do not. Maybe we'd get better dealers in the long run.
I am seriously considering that Beetle though. My commute is short and slow and I could go all electric and take the car industry out of my life for a very, very, very long time.
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Mac 5:19AM (1/31/2008)
T2 -
Hi there. Here in the UK we DO buy fuel by the litre. Currently petrol's about £1.10 or so and diesel is a bit more. That's $2.20 to you guys, approx, remember more if it's diesel. For an average car that's about £50 / £55 a tank ($100+) to you, I believe. Even more on bigger cars, like 4x4's etc.
It's crippling families financially, because as you can appreciate it pushes everything else up too, like food etc. And that's more expense here too, than it is for you guys.
Yes the government want to force people off the streets and onto public transport, and out of the country and into cities, but unlike you guys, we don't have reliable, cheap, public transport systems to use. Busses and trains are expensive. To give you an example, I live about 2 hours (drive time) from London. An economy rail ticket (non commuting time) costs me £45 return for one day. ($90). If i wanted to travel at commuter time it'd be a heck of a lot more.
Personally, I often think of immigrating!
Mac, in the UK
Mac.
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tony 1:55PM (3/25/2008)
Citroen have been making DIESEL vehicles for many years I own a C4 Citroen, it's a clean diesel, it has a PARTICULATE FILTER, emmissions are way below petrol(GAS)I can get over 1000 Kilometers from a 60 ltr tank of DIESEL. In Australia we pay A$1.60 a ltr for diesel.
Tony
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