NEW DELHI: Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari may be making a case to tax diesel cars more as he pitches relatively greener technologies, but a look at the industry’s numbers shows that diesel has already lost sway with buyers.
According to data sourced by TOI for April-August 2023 period, the share of diesels has come down to 0.5% for passenger cars and zero for sedans as consumers opted for petrols, CNGs, and to a very small degree for hybrids and electrics. Although diesel models amount to 33% of sales for SUVs, their share has come down from 97% in 2013-14.
Diesels, which once ruled the roost in the Indian passenger vehicle market due to higher fuel efficiency and better torque, have been on a downward spiral over the past decade, following adverse action by courts, regulators, and even tax authorities, who have blamed it for growing pollution across many cities.
