The more things change, the more they stay the same, right? But this adage doesn’t seem to really apply to the 2018 car model year, which is promising to be a milestone in automotive history!
Disruption of the 2018 car market
In many ways we are currently seeing an upheaval in the automotive market. SUVs are taking centre-stage and Dieselgate casts the petrol engine in a new favourable light, not to mention the advances being made by hybrid and electric vehicles and the long-term, but steady progress which is being made in self-driving cars. Let’s face it: choosing a new vehicle now is turning into an obstacle course for the man on the street… And even for sector specialists!
SUV : a trend that is being confirmed in 2018
Let’s start with the ever-growing prominence of SUVs and crossovers (i.e., raised vehicles that are somewhere between an SUV and a sedan, estate car or coupé), which are on the verge of replacing more “traditional” vehicles. For evidence, look no further than the number of SUVs in the list of 2018 novelties that we have provided. In fact, almost half of the new models are SUVs.
This trend (which began in the early 2000s with the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML) had once caused much hand-wringing among environmentalists, but not anymore. Why is that? Probably because SUVs are now available in lower-end segments and are therefore financially accessible and, hence, politically correct! Be that as it may, while SUVs are now more widely accepted, remember that their relative lack of aerodynamics, heavier weight, and larger wheels result in 20-30% more fuel consumption than their lower-based peers. The same goes for their CO2 emissions, which, remember, are directly proportional to fuel consumption. This fact often goes unreported in (mostly non-specialised) media reports and in the fiscal treatment of the benefit in kind, perhaps because driving a “big gas-guzzler” is an ego trip, boosts sales, and stimulates the economy.
The impact of diesel bashing for the 2018 car market
What’s more, Dieselgate has had a big impact on the petrol/diesel breakdown in new vehicle registrations for at least the past year, and there are no signs this is ready to stop! The reason is that politicians and the media have grabbed the VW scandal and run with it. This is a true windfall for their “environmental scandal” narrative and an opportunity for them to “save the planet” from wicked automotive manufacturers. The truth is far more subtle. In fact, we could devote an entire article to this (and we will).
Even so, at a time when this almost forced return to petrol car engines is rebalancing its market share with diesel, it is worth recalling that petrol-fuelled vehicles’ actual consumption depends far more on driving habits than is the case for diesel vehicles. In fact, the past 20 years of “all diesel” have accustomed drivers to a rather nervous style of driving (diesel has nice pick-up) and switching to petrol without adjusting driving habits results in a big jump in fuel consumption if you’re not careful. Just imagine what this is like when combining SUVs with petrol. You may have already been so unfortunate as to find out first-hand!
Taxation favorable to hybrid and electric car models
Last point: this media barrage with a technical-environmental flavour has benefited rechargeable and electric hybrid vehicles, in some cases driven by tax or financial incentives. For the happy few, these vehicles have become really appreciated, especially among a better-off class of population. A bit like the image that SUVs had in the early 2000s! Little thought or care is given to how the electricity that powers them, is produced.
What about ordinary consumers? How do they get their bearings and form a fair and reliable opinion on the right type of vehicle and the right type of car engine for them? New technology has become predominant in the car industry today, it’s important to be aware of the wealth of information and to understand it…
So what’s best? Petrol, diesel, rechargeable or non-rechargeable hybrid, or even all-electric car? We have made a humble attempt to provide some objective answers to these questions, based on a new comparison and decision-making tool that you can try out free of charge at: https://energy.aldautomotive.lu/en/
Sources : Antonio Da Palma Ferramacho
