Nissan boss says diesel isn't dead yet
Diesel sales are going backwards, but Nissan reckons there'll still be oil-burners around well into the next decadeThe News
Diesel's obituary has been written more times than a Bond villain's, but Nissan's local boss reckons it isn't dead yet.
Asked whether new emissions rules under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) would kill off diesel, the automotive exec with decades of global experience said it would be around for a long time.
The Key Details
- Nissan says diesel will still be around "well into the 2030s"
- Diesel sales down 16.4 per cent year-to-date to 232,714
- Diesel's market share is down from 30.4 per cent to 25.5 per cent
- Diesel still powers 84.1 per cent of light commercial sales
- EV sales up 164.2 per cent and PHEVs up 124.0 per cent year-to-date
The Finer Details
Despite increasingly stringent emissions regulations via Australia’s NVES, diesel ain’t dead and could be something that survives beyond some predictions.
That’s the word according to Nissan Oceania managing director Steve Milette who told carsales that many Aussies rely on diesel and he doesn’t see it going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
"I don't know that NVES will kill diesel because there are consumers who will need diesel.
"And I say that for well into the 2030s and so I do think that in the automotive industry, diesel will continue."
The numbers say diesel is shrinking, not disappearing.
September 2026 VFACTS national sales data shows passenger, SUV and light commercial diesel sales are down 16.4 per cent year-to-date to 232,714.
That works out to 25.5 per cent of the market, down from 30.4 per cent at the same point last year – a significant but not calamitous drop.
The month of September itself saw diesel sales fall 18.4 per cent to 25,173, while diesel SUVs are down 23.2 per cent year-to-date to 72,123.
But in the ute and van world, diesel still rules. Light commercial diesel sales are down 12.2 per cent to 155,040, yet that's still 84.1 per cent of all light commercials sold this year. Tradies and farmers aren't ditching the oil-burner in a hurry.
Meanwhile, the electrified mob is coming hard. Add Tesla's numbers from the Electric Vehicle Council and EV sales are up roughly 140 per cent year-to-date to 178,910 and PHEVs are up 124 per cent to 85,278.
The Road Ahead
Nissan is hedging its bets. Its diesel Navara is doing it tough, with 4x4 sales down 47.6 per cent year-to-date to 3083. The Frontier Pro PHEV ute is next in line, and that’s powered by a small petrol engine and a large e-motor.
Even so, Milette isn't in a rush to read diesel its last rites. On these numbers, there's a clearly plenty of life left in the diesel segment.
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