European diesel car market share drops to 7.5% in 2026

The market share of diesel engines in the European Union has seen a significant decline, dropping to 7.5% in the first half of 2026 according to ACEA data. This stands in sharp contrast to the 2011-2012 period when diesel accounted for approximately 55% of new car sales.

Hybrids have become the dominant market force, capturing 37.3% of the market, while plug-in hybrids account for 9.8%. Electric vehicles are rapidly gaining ground, reaching a 20.7% market share, closely trailing pure gasoline vehicles at 22.2%.

Regional trends vary significantly. In Poland, hybrids lead with 50.5% of sales, followed by gasoline (27.2%) and electric vehicles (8.6%), while diesel has fallen to 6%. Germany maintains a higher diesel preference at roughly 13%, whereas the Netherlands has seen diesel's share plummet to about 1%.

The decline in diesel popularity is attributed to increased emissions scrutiny following the Volkswagen emissions scandal and more stringent regulatory standards. The introduction of real-driving emissions tests in 2017 led to more complex and expensive exhaust purification systems, such as SCR systems requiring AdBlue, which has reduced the economic viability of diesel in smaller vehicles.