Experts have warned manufacturers that they could fall behind rival brands if they were to divest from electric cars and expand production of diesel.
Vauxhall owner Stellantis has quietly reintegrated diesel vehicles into its European lineup, including vans, the Peugeot 308 and the DS N°4.
The majority of manufacturers have turned away from investing as heavily in petrol and diesel vehicles as zero emission vehicles become more popular.
Labour has confirmed that it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030, while only electric cars will be on the market from 2035.
Stellantis, which also owns the likes of Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, and Peugeot, said it was reintegrating diesel into its lineup in response to consumer trends.
In 2025, just under 104,000 new diesel cars were registered, representing a 15.6 per cent drop compared to the year prior. Only 5.1 per cent of new cars were diesel.
In comparison, 473,348 new electric cars were registered over the last 12 months, representing 23.4 per cent of the total market share, in addition to a 23.9 per cent rise year-on-year.
Ginny Buckley, the chief executive of Electrifying.com, the electric car buying and advice site, said brands should invest in electric cars to match market trends.
Experts have called for manufacturers to ditch diesel and invest in electric cars
|
GETTY
She told GB News: “Whichever way you look at it, diesel’s on the way down and electric’s on the way up.
“Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen are in danger of missing the boat twice if they don’t invest in making the efficient, practical, affordable EVs that their rivals already have on sale.”
A recent report warned that diesel would disappear from forecourts within years as drivers made the switch to cleaner internal combustion vehicles and zero emission cars.
By the end of the decade, there will be just over five million diesel vehicles on the road, while forecasts show numbers could plummet in the years after.
Diesel sales have fallen dramatically in recent years | PA
The research, from New AutoMotive, highlighted that some forecourts in London have already stopped selling diesel, while other petrol stations are being redeveloped into electric vehicle charging hubs.
The report also noted that interest in diesel is waning, with Scotland expected to be the first country in the UK to leave the fuel behind.
Nick Bailey, founder of BatteryIQ, said uptake of electric vehicles would increase in the coming years as the technology improves and gets safer.
He noted that improvements with cell chemistry, thermal management and battery management systems “have materially reduced risk while improving performance”.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa admitted that ‘tough choices’ would need to be made | STELLANTIS
The trend of electric vehicles becoming more popular is happening around the world, while Mr Bailey stated that diesel was in “structural decline”.
He told GB News: “When brands struggle to compete in electric, it is easier to question demand than fix the product. But the data is clear.
“Strategy built on noise rather than evidence rarely ends well. The market is moving decisively toward battery EVs.”