Bilåret 2018: dieselras, skattekaos and the lack of rechargeable vehicles

sales of motor vehicles are accustomed to sharp fluctuations, but bilåret 2018 will go down in history as one of the most turbulent. The new tax system Bonus malus, which was introduced on 1 July, caused the extremely high pressure in the bilhallarna in June.

the Background was that the buyers wanted to get their new petrol and diesel cars registered before 30 June to avoid the tax increase (malus) on 1 July, which for most models on the top ten was sharp or very sharp.

Results: 66.44 new cars were registered, a tokrusning with 73 per cent.

In July came the hangover: a steep fall of 49% to only 12.504 cars, the lowest julisiffran since 1996. To a certain extent, offset a fall of progressively better numbers during the autumn, but not fully. The year ended with a bigger minus than what the industry had anticipated:

the result was 353.666 cars, a decline of seven per cent from 2017, which was a record year with 379,393 cars.

the forecast for 2018 was 360.000 cars,

– Bilåret 2018 was characterized by fits and starts, with a strong first half and a much weaker second half of the year, " summarises Anders Norén, technical manager at Car Sweden.

" We did not reach quite up to our forecast, but for light trucks exceeded the, he stresses.

the car Manufacturers ended up also caught in the middle of the stricter körcykelproven in the WLTP, which started to apply on 1 september. It did that delivery times went out on time.

– the Impact of the Bonus malus and WLTP has gradually faded and will continue to do so into 2019, think Anders Norén.

Link to the graphics

the evs and phevs increased significantly. Measured in number of registrations, it was 28.332 cars, plus 47 per cent. It corresponded to eight percent of total registrations, compared with five per cent in 2017.

But it could have been even more of rechargeable cars in the last year – if the manufacturers had been able to deliver.

the Outcome can partly be explained by a limited production capacity of the manufacturers, " says Anders Norén.

Car Sweden with the percentage of rechargeable cars rises.

" Our forecast is to increase to 13 per cent. Most rechargeable cars are still hybrids, but the proportion of pure electric cars is increasing. More than ten new rechargeable car models will be launched in 2019, " says Anders Norén.

Already today there are a variety of models to choose from. Best-selling electric car in the last year was the Nissan Leaf. Sales doubled compared with the 2017, but it is still a very small number - 1.831 cars were there in the last year.

7.078 cars - the equivalent of only two per cent of all new cars.

– to get a faster conversion to rechargeable vehicles, it is important that we have the right policy instruments in place so that the infrastructure and demand is increasing as supply is now expected to grow, " continues Anders Norén.

the Volkswagen model Passat GTE once again became the best-selling plug-in hybrid, but the volume fell compared with the 2017 due to difficult delivery problems. The VW Golf was the best-selling model to private customers.

Volkswagen is loading now in full swing with a whole new series of electrified cars.

" our customers can start ordering our new electric car ID. It will begin shipping in the 2020 and we think it has good potential to contribute to the vehicle's breakthrough for the many people", says Sten Forsberg, director of Volkswagen Sweden.

That the Gulf became the number one among private customers pleased him:

" We have long had a strong position among business users but that we are now the number one when the swede chooses the car is very pleasing and the result of a conscious focus on the market. Volkswagen's roots are also right in privatköparna, says Sten Forsberg, who also can look back on a year in which Volkswagen celebrated 70 years on the Swedish market.

Link to the graphics

2018 was also the year when the cars once again gained a higher share of the market for new cars than diesel cars. Over the years 2009-2017 was diesels in the majority. The distribution was 47 per cent on petrol as against 38 per cent diesels. The year 2017 was the inverse relationship.

replaced dieslarna of rechargeable cars, but also with gasoline cars, which are not as energy-efficient as diesels. Entourages may be that the greenhouse gas emissions from new cars no longer decreases, but flattens out, or in the worst cases turns up. The effect is enhanced by the gas to closer to 95% is of fossil origin, while diesel fuel has a higher percentage of green bio-components, up to 50 percent renewable on certain stations. There are also HVO100, a diesel that is renewable to 100%.

2018 was a record year for both heavy and light trucks, which Bi Sweden explains with the strong economic conditions that have pushed up the demand for transport.

In the year, expects Car Sweden it has become 335.000 new cars. It is, admittedly, lower than in the previous year, but historically a very high level.

the Forecast for light trucks screwed down by twelve per cent to 50,000 vehicles.

1) Volvo S/V 90 24.346

2) VW Golf 17.095

3) Volvo S/V 60 16.412

4) VW Passat 13.650

5) Volvo XC60 13.293

1) VW Passat GTE 3.974

2) Kia Optima 2.835

3) Mitsubishi Outlander 2.826

4) Kia Niro 2.539

5) Volvo XC60 2.335

1) the Nissan Leaf 1.831

2) the Renault Zoe 1.663

3) Tesla Model S 883

4) VW e-golf 606

5) BMW i3 580

1) Volvo S/V 90 18.508

2) Volvo S/V 60 11.004

3) Volvo XC60 7.203

4) VW Passat 6.485

5) Fiat Ducato 5.959

1) Alfa Romeo 980 cars +100%

2) Jaguar 631 cars +74%

3) Jeep 1.075 cars +27%

4) Porsche 1.833 cars +18%

5) Fiat 8.216 cars 16%

1) Smart 9 cars -85%

2) DS 38 cars -67%

3) Hyundai 4.622 cars-42%

4) Land Rover 657 cars -38%

5) Ssanyong 384 cars -19%

1) Volkswagen 16.930

2) Ford 8.599

3) Mercedes-Benz 6.229

4) Renault 6.048

5) Nissan 3.265

1) 2017: 379.393 cars

2) 2016: 372.318 cars

3) 2018: 353.729 cars

4) 2015: 345.108 cars

5) 1988: 343.963 cars