An analysis by Bosch, using new car registration data provided by R.L Polk & Co., determined that for the 12-month period beginning January 2009, when both diesel and gasoline engine options were offered as options in a car, about 30% of the registrations had diesel engines.
Bosch’s analysis of Polk data shows the average percentage of registrations for cars with clean diesel engines were:
- Audi A3 TDI: 20%
- Audi Q7 TDI: 30%
- BMW 335d: 8%
- BMW X5 xDrive x35d: 17%
- Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTEC: 18%
- Mercedes-Benz ML 350 BlueTEC: 13%
- Mercedes-Benz R 350 BlueTEC: 12%
- VW Jetta TDI (Sedan and Sportwagen): 49%+
- Volkswagen Touareg TDI: 33%
Lars Ullrich, director of diesel systems marketing for Robert Bosch LLC, noted that car buyers chose clean diesel vehicles at higher rates than most market watchers expected.
These rates compare favorably or surpass the percentage of buyers opting for a hybrid version of a vehicle, he said. For example, using Polk registration data for the same 12-month period as the base, Ullrich noted that 8% of Camry buyers chose the Camry Hybrid, which has been on the market for four years, having been introduced in 2006 as a 2007 model. Similarly, the Ford Escape Hybrid introduced in 2004, had a consumer take rate of 10% in 2009.
2010 Hyundai Tucson Photo Gallery
2010 Beijing Motor Show Photo Gallery
2011 Ford Fiesta Photo Gallery
2011 MB E-Class Conv. Photo Gallery
2011 BMW X5 Photo Gallery