The share of new diesel cars sold in Europe in the first quarter of this year fell below 30 percent for the first time in three decades. Due to stricter emission limits, they are being replaced by hybrids, electric cars or models using other alternative propulsion.
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The coronavirus epidemic sent the entire market down by a quarter, with hybrids and electric cars the only growing category. This is according to current data from the ACEA association.
According to the data, alternative-powered cars recorded a year-on-year increase in sales of 46 percent to 544,000 cars in the first quarter, which is almost 18 percent of the market. The best-selling ecological category was hybrids, which European customers bought 310,308, which represents a year-on-year increase of 49 percent. This is followed by electric cars with 130,297 cars sold and plug-in hybrids, an increase of as much as 126 percent to 97,913 cars sold.
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“Hybrid drive is by far the most efficient and immediate solution to reducing emissions without the need for external mains charging. In other words, the hybrid offers low emissions and consumption comparable to or lower than diesel, without the need to plug it in every day like an electric car or plug-in. hybrid, “said Martin Peleška, CEO of Toyota and Lexus CR.
Brands offering alternative-drive models better resisted the downturn in the first quarter. While the entire market declined by 25 percent, Lexus, for example, grew by 1.4 percent. Competitive premium brands Audi or Volvo, on the other hand, fell by 18 to 19 percent. Of the mainstream brands, Toyota was the most successful, down 7.3 percent. Its biggest rivals recorded double-digit sales losses during the first quarter. Volkswagen fell 24 percent, Renault 31.8 percent and Ford even 38 percent.
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The market developed similarly in the Czech Republic, where the share of diesels fell to almost 29 percent in the first six months this year. Hybrids and electric cars accounted for over six percent of sales. Hybrids were dominant in the category of battery-powered cars, among which Toyota clearly led, with a share of about a third.
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