The Share of Diesel Cars in Bulgaria is Gradually Increasing

The share of passenger cars with diesel engines in Bulgaria increased steadily in the first half of the year, according to the registration data of the Road Police. In just six months, the difference between the cars of the two main types of fuel decreased by 49 184 units.

As of July 1, there were 1 316 424 gasoline passenger cars (-23 395) and 1 243 965 (+25 754) diesel. Following are those of various gas options - propane-butane and methane, which are nearly 200,000. As of July 1, there are almost 3.69 million vehicles registered in Bulgaria. Of these, more than 2.78 million are cars.

Increasing interest in used diesel in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries was predicted several years ago when restrictions on entry into certain areas of diesel cars began to be introduced in various Western European countries and it was rumored that the bans would cover all larger parts of populated areas.

This, in addition to the scandals surrounding the manipulated fuel consumption figures of these cars, led to the over-selling of used cars and the collapse of their prices. In Bulgaria, where eco-friendliness still has little effect on car costs, diesel is preferred because of its lower fuel consumption.

The on-going migration of old diesel vehicles to Eastern European countries has led the European Commission to start thinking of options to counter this trend, which is complicated given the declared free movement of people and goods between the EU Member States. Last fall, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania submitted a note to the EU Council of Ministers of Ecology requesting countries that ban diesel-powered cars to take responsibility for that decision.

In half a year, over 23,000 new and nearly 110,000 used cars were purchased

Otherwise, the dominance of used cars among the newly registered remains at almost the same levels, with almost five used cars at the end of last year and every new car. From 1 January to 30 June, the number of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles received 23 047 vehicles up to 6 months old and 109 119 used. More than 86,000 of them were produced more than 10 years ago.

At the same time, the EU-wide new car market is in crisis, with demand falling 7.8% in June to 1 446 183 units. Sales in Bulgaria are over 9 percent lower, with 3255 new cars purchased. From the beginning of the year to the end of June, the market shrank by 3.1% to 8.2 million units for all EU countries. Bulgaria, along with 11 other countries, mainly from Eastern Europe, still registered an increase of 1.3%, formed by 18 323 deals.

A look at the brands preferred by the Bulgarians points to the same leaders in both used cars and new ones. In these second hand, the most preferred are the German Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Opel, and Audi. The most sought after are the Dacia, the Škoda, the Renault, the Volkswagen, and the Toyota.

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