Diesel vehicles are expected to fall to just 5% of the EU car market by 2030, according to a recent study.
Consulting firm AlixPartners says the decline will continue to drop, amidst worries about air quality and emissions standards.
Diesels’ share of the European market has declined from 52% to 45% over the last three years, the firm says.
The BBC reported that the transition away from diesel will also make it harder for the EU to meet CO2 emissions targets, it adds.
Diesel was previously advertised as being more environmentally-friendly than petrol as part of EU efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon dioxide (CO2) in particular.
Although diesel fuel contains slightly more carbon than petrol, the overall CO2 emissions of the average diesel vehicle are lower.
The study by AlixPartners said carmakers were “facing a technology choice”, with electric and hybrid vehicles “the only answer” to the challenge of reducing emissions.
According to the Society of Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK diesel car sales dropped by 23.6% in May, in comparison with the same month in 2017.
In the November 2017 Budget, the government announced a levy on new diesel vehicles that failed to meet the latest emissions standards. The first-year road tax increase for vehicles for diesel cars came into effect in April and will apply until around 2021.
