Paris has announced a ban on diesel vehicles starting in 2025; three other French cities will restrict diesel vehicles’ access to urban centers during pollution peaks. In Germany, Berlin, Stuttgart, Munich and Cologne are mulling restrictions on diesel-engine cars and trucks. Similar discussions are underway in Spain and the United Kingdom.
As a result, diesel car and truck sales in Europe are steadily dropping, down as much as 9 percent year over year in some markets.
The bans – or even the threat of them – are driving buyers away for fear that they’ll be stuck with cars they can’t drive in town.