Diesel vehicles are on the rise while hybrid vehicles are declining

Contrary to popular belief, diesel vehicles are actually doing quite well in the United States. In fact, sales are up by about 25% for the first six months of 2014. Clean diesel uptake in the States is becoming increasingly more noticeable as time goes by. The fuel has been gaining a lot of ground, recording growth for 43 of the last 47 months, of which 31 boasted double-digit rises.

Hybrid vehicles, on the other hand, only had increased sales in one of the last six months, and only a measly 6.6% at that. The biggest recorded drop for hybrids occurred in February, when a 23.9% slump was noted. The decline of hybrid vehicles may or may not be a direct result of the boost in diesel vehicles. The Diesel Technology forum put together this information from various sources, with its Executive Director, Allen Schaeffer, stating the following:

“The consistently positive sales trends for clean diesel are particularly noteworthy since they have occurred over a recessionary economic period when diesel fuel prices have trended upward, and consumers have many more fuel efficient vehicle choices than ever before.  Today, the clean diesel choices include 27 cars and SUVs, nine vans and 10 pickup trucks.  We expect that number to nearly double in the next 18 months, and we expect that more models in more brands will only generate higher sales in the future.”

“While diesel cars and pickup trucks make up only three percent of the overall U.S. vehicle market, most analysts predict continued growth in the U.S., with many believing the diesel market will double by 2018,” Schaeffer conceded. Read more about the story here.