2023-12-26 06:46:00
The vehicle fleet is getting older and older: “We must not neglect the impact of successive crises”
From being the undisputed market leader, diesel has become a pariah and today only represents 8.9% of new car registrations for the entire country.
Diesel now only represents 8.9% of new vehicle registrations in Belgium. ©Febiac
Result: the Belgian automobile fleet, although 63% diesel cars in 2014, is now only made up of 36%.
Any profit for gasoline? Having become the majority in 2020, this engine has increased by 50% compared to 2014 but is starting to stagnate where so-called green vehicles are seeing their sales explode.
Petrol vehicles remain in the majority. But for how much longer? ©DR
Particularly boosted by the decision, taken in May 2021 by the federal government, to no longer authorize 100% deductibility only for cars that no longer emit greenhouse gases during their use, following 2026. A financial boon that companies have clearly identified: 83.8% of all electrified vehicles (hybrid or 100% electric) are registered by companies, according to Febiac figures. A figure which even rises to 91.5% of full electrics and 92.2% of plug-in hybrids.
Individuals, undoubtedly still too reluctant to switch to full electric, still prefer the full hybrid (which recharges while driving): 58.8% of this engine is registered by independents.
Now, almost one in two cars sold (47.9% from January to November according to Febiac figures) is equipped with an electric engine (hybrid or 100%).
The alarming finding of a study on electric cars: in 2030, they will cause the State to lose 1.5 billion per year!
The year 2024 should therefore mark a major turning point for the automobile industry in Belgium: for the very first time, registrations of electric cars should exceed 50% of total sales. “It’s a possibility,” says Filip Rylant, spokesperson for the federation of mobility professionals. “Everything even suggests that this symbolic bar will be crossed. The year 2024 might well be that of the electric car.”
Companies that have not yet taken the plunge into electric should indeed be encouraged to do so in the coming months. And the proportion of individuals daring to do without fossil fuels should be greater. Especially since in the north of the country, advantageous bonuses have been set up to encourage individuals to take the plunge. “However, there remain uncertainties for the consumer. Particularly on the engine for which he will have to opt. If it massively opts for thermal power, particularly in the south of the country, the trend towards electricity might be reversed across the country.”
The automobile market is getting back on track
The automobile market has recovered in 2023, with a 30% increase in sales compared to 2022. ©JEAN LUC FLEMAL
Torpedoed by the Covid crisis then by the shortage of semiconductors – these micro-elements present in all the electronic components of your cars – the automobile market has recovered considerably in 2023. According to Traxio estimates, we should reach the mark of 480,000 units sold over the last twelve months. An increase of 31.6% compared to 2022 when “only” 366,000 new cars found an owner in Belgium. However, we remain relatively far from the 550,000 sales recorded in 2019, the last pre-Covid reference year. “It remains to be seen whether individuals will regain their interest in purchasing new cars,” comments Filip Rylant. In any case, we think that now is the time: there is stock, and interesting conditions. So we might eventually return to a more normal situation in the automobile market.”
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