Market: All-wheel drive vehicles reach almost 50 percent
DAMPERS FOR DIESELS From January to June 2018, a total of 157,910 new cars were sold in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, which is in line with the industry's expectations for the current year. However, the ongoing diesel crisis once again put a serious damper on diesel vehicles. The significant drop in sales of diesel vehicles was offset to a lesser extent by the continuing [...]
However, the ongoing diesel crisis once again put a serious damper on compression-ignition vehicles. The significant drop in sales of diesel vehicles was offset to a lesser extent by the continued growth of alternatively powered passenger cars and petrol cars. In the first half of 2018, 437,484 used cars also changed hands. This is 4768 fewer vehicles than a year earlier, but the used car market is also on target. Used vehicles were advertised for sale for an average of 67 days.
Effects of manipulated emission values
The ongoing discussion about manipulated emission values of diesel vehicles as well as planned and, in some cases, already implemented driving bans for older vehicles in major German cities has also had a lasting impact on demand for diesel vehicles in Switzerland. The loss of market share from seven percent to 30.5 percent within a year is considerable.
The CO2 emission targets for 2020 are in question
This is not a good development for the CO2 emission targets set by politicians for 2020, especially as the market share of new cars with all-wheel drive and high fuel consumption remains at 48.4%. In the short term, the (probable) failure to meet the CO2 targets can hardly be compensated for by the continuing high demand for passenger cars with alternative drive systems - the continuously rising unit numbers are still too low for this. However, it is worth noting that the proportion of all new registrations accounted for by purely electric vehicles in the most populous cantons of Zurich and Bern was also significantly higher than the current market share in the first half of 2018. The canton of Obwalden is leading the way in terms of electromobility with a new car share of 4.3%
Dominance of German brands declining in Switzerland
In the new car segment, a trend that has been observed for some time continued in the first half of 2018: the once unchallenged dominance of German brands is waning - albeit only slowly. Cumulative market shares fell both within the top 10 ranking and in relation to the market as a whole. Instead, Alfa Romeo, Dacia, Jeep, Jaguar, Kia, Land-Rover, Mitsubishi and Volvo, which are not associated with the allegations of fraud surrounding the diesel scandal, are experiencing a strong tailwind.
