BMW has dramatically culled its line-up of diesel cars in the UK in response to insufficient demand.
Certain diesel variants of the BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series Coupé, BMW 5 Series and BMW X2 have been removed from sale, together with all diesel variants of the BMW 4 Series, Autocar has learned.
Specifically, these are the BMW 118d, 120d xDrive, 220d Coupé, 420d, 430d, M440d, 520d xDrive, 530d xDrive and all X2 diesels.
BMW said in a statement supplied to Autocar: “BMW continually monitors consumer demand across models to ensure we have a product offering that is relevant and reflective of our customer’s needs.
“Changes to our line-up reflect evolving market demands, and by removing lower-volume variants, we ensure BMW offers variety for our customers whilst improving their order experience.”
The most popular of the diesel models axed was the 118d, having attracted 1326 UK sales in 2021. This fell by more than half last year to 505.
Meanwhile, the rear-driven 520d saloon – the only diesel 5 Series to remain on sale – grew from 1644 sales in 2021 to 2084 last year.
The least popular BMW diesel was the X2 xDrive18d, which recorded just 34 sales in 2022.
BMW’s changes reflect a wider drop in demand for cars that use the black pump. Sales of new diesels dropped by 14.6% in February 2023 compared with the same month last year (to 3348), according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This was despite an overall market rebound, with deliveries of all new cars growing by 26.2% year on year (to 74,441).
During the same period, petrol car sales grew by 34.9%, mild-hybrid petrol sales by 38.6%, hybrid sales by 40.0% and electric car sales by 18.2%.
So far this year, all the listed alternatives have more than three times greater a share of the UK new-car market than diesels’ 4.2% – a significant reduction on last year’s already small 5.7%.
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People finally seeing sense.
Why? For lots of customers, diesel still remains the best and most obvious option, a 3 tonne SUV with a petrol engine even a plug in hybrid, is just guzzling more fuel doing less mpg, and is therefore probably creating more polution, EVs are not the answer and wont be until the charging infrastructure is fit for purpose.
People complain about the so called "climate crisis" and experts claim we can expect more extreme weather conditions.
Good luck charging your EV when a storm has knocked out the power lines and youre cut off or snowed in for a week or longer. Thats if the emergency services have got power to charge their recovery or repair vehicles. Electric ambulance, snow plough or gritter anyone.
There are many reasons I won't have an EV at the present time but really is a stupid argument.
I can't think the last time I was snowed in for a week or the power was off. I do however remember fuel shortages and petrol stations limiting supplies.
Electric Ambulance, snow plough or gritter? That's because the technology doesn't exist. If speed were the only issue then yes an electric ambulance would be a great idea. I saw a Tesla police car the other day if that's of any interest to you.
Ambulance trusts in NW England are currently trialling 21 electric ambulances, North Yorkshire CC now have two electric gritting lorries and electric snow ploughs are manufactured by Alke in Italy.
I'm glad someone's managed to make them work. I can see the instant full torque a massive advantage for equipment like snow ploughs but on the other hand, given the resistance I'd have guessed their range would be severely limited. You have to remember though, snow ploughs just like gritters, aren't much use in summer, they only operate when the temps are around zero or below and that's the worst environment for batteries. I can only think their efficiency is way below that of any diesel powered unit.
Driving heats the battery as does charging it so you operate heaters to warm the battery up then you manage the temperature/cooling to keep it at optimal. Most of heating is while docked/charging so minor impact to range but more electric consumption from grid but then the diesel vehicle also burns more fuel in extreme cold.
For the small minority of customers a diesel can just about make sense, but other than that cheaper petrol makes far more sense. Good luck hankering for the days when 50 percent of sales were diesel cityvolvodealer.
Can't remember the last time I had a power cut for more than an hour, and good luck putting diesel in your Volvo when the pump needs electricity and there's that storm you are harping on about.
Yet I know MANY people who drive diesel due to their work commitments and I am also one of them.
Do tell me how when I do over 20k miles a year for work that a petrol or electric car makes more sense? It doesn't. To add, I have friends claiming their ppm back from their employers back with their petrol cars and LOSING money yet I do not.
He did say that diesel can make sense for a small minority of people; well a small minority of people drive 20k+ miles per year. So you agree!
Ahhhh good to see a diesel fan pop up after the last couple of years keeping their head down. What part of you doesn't understand the words Small minority in my post. Diesel sales have fallen to around 15 percent so it is a minority. I did 30k a year some 10k more than you all in a petrol car doing 50 mpg, a diesel with all that noise and extra initial cost would never have paid for itself.
20k is nothing when you consider diesel cars used to be around 1300 more to buy and diesel is 20 percent more than petrol. I suppose you think Suzuki Swift diesels doing 8k a year was a wise choice.
According to the article, few of them were BMW customers.