Nissan Has Announced An End To Its Diesel Engines In Europe

As sales of Nissan's diesel-led models continue to fall, the brand has announced that diesels will be phased out of European ranges and replaced with hybrids and EVs

Nissan will end sales of all of its diesel engines in Europe, the company has confirmed.

There are no plans to suddenly axe them, as other manufacturers like Toyota have done, but every diesel engine will be phased out as model lines naturally reach their end of life.

Declining sales are to blame for the move, a spokeswoman from the firm is reported as telling news agency Reuters. She said:

“In Europe, where our diesel sales are concentrated, our electrification push will allow us to discontinue diesel gradually from passenger cars at the time of each vehicle renewal.

“Along with other manufacturers and industry bodies we can see the progressive decline of diesel but we do not anticipate its sudden end in the short term. At this point in time and for many customers, modern diesel engines will remain in demand and continue to be available within Nissan’s powertrain offering.”

The UK is Europe’s second-largest market for diesel cars, but demand for new diesels fell by a third in 2018’s first quarter. Nissan’s sales as a whole have fallen 35 per cent in this country, despite plenty of interest in the new Leaf electric car.

We can now expect an urgent wave of electrification from the brand across all its cars; especially those that have previously had diesel power.