Renault India will stop selling diesel cars in India from the next year. This information has been confirmed by Thierry Bollore, Global CEO of Renault. All diesel cars in the Renault lineup will be discontinued once the BS-VI emission norms come into play on April 1, 2020.
It is worth noting that India’s biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has already made a similar announcement. As a result, Maruti will also discontinue all diesel cars in its lineup from next year, making Renault the second car manufacturer in the country to make such an announcement.
It is important to note that converting diesel engines to BS-VI compliant blocks requires higher investment, as compared to doing the same for petrol engines. Car manufacturer are thus apprehensive of whether they should invest in BS-VI diesel engines for the future, especially at a time when the said fuel option’s popularity is at an all time low.
The Indian market has already started show disinterest in diesel cars The market share of diesel cars in the country at the end of FY2019 was 19%, which is close to the decade low mark. This is a trend that is motivating manufacturers to limit their R&D expenses on diesel engines.
The company’s Global CEO has confirmed that the carmaker will focus on Electric Vehicles in the mid-term. Renault is actively looking for local partners in India to strengthen its supply chain for EVs before 2022. The Kwid Electric can be the first upcoming electric car from Renault in India.
Also Read: Renault Kwid Electric Design Images Leaked
Renault’s next upcoming car, the Triber MPV, will only come with a petrol engine option. Steps like these are a testament of how serious these manufacturers are when talking about discontinuing diesel cars from their portfolio.