Time To Phase Out Diesel Cars?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26257703

[Old_Geezer]

I doubt it. They have advantages as well as disadvantages. Anyway we must surely be getting away from fossil fuels for a better alternative of some sort in the near future.

[youngmafbog]

No, just time to leave the EU and its diktats.

[LazyGun]

I for one wish the government would hurry up with introducing tighter regulations on air quality, especially in London. Its pretty disgusting a lot of the time. I would hope we are not going to wait until we get smog like Beijing before we act.

[ToraToraTora]

Not often I say this but the EU have a point. There have always been diesel trucks etc but now we have millions of diesel cars and they are basically pumping a lot more of the problem gases into the air.

[WELSHYORKIE]

My company run a fleet of circa 250 vehicles all but 10 are diesel powered and of those diesel vehicles most are leased and are less than 3 years old. We have reduced our carbon emissions by over 30% since we introduced leasing back in 2003. My own vehicle in 2003 had co2 figure of 132gm/km, my current vehicle is 109 and my new car due for delivery in June is 92. Our fuel usage is less because of the increased mpg figures we are getting. I don't think diesel will be phased out for a long time yet

[New Judge]

Diesel cars should never have been phased in.

Diesel engines are suitable for ships, railway locomotives and fire tenders only.

[LazyGun]

I knew, deep down, that one day I might find something I could agree with NJ on ;)

[mushroom25]

The petrol-powered BMW 530i and its diesel equivalent model, the 530d, cost a similar amount. The 530i has more power (258bhp vs 218bhp) but the diesel has a huge torque advantage (369lb ft vs 221 lb ft). In real world driving conditions, it’s the 530d that’s faster and more versatile. On top of this, the 530d achieves an average of 40.9mpg, 8.8mpg more than the 530i. In this case, the diesel is most definitely cheaper to run.

[WELSHYORKIE]

Car makers have managed to bring down CO2 dramatically - can they do the same with NOx?

[jomifl]

A diesel engined hybrid would solve the problem as the nitrogen oxide emissions are only a problem in urban areas.

[Gromit]

This Government and the last rather than phase out deisel cars, have actively encouraged more...

// successive Governments have continued to incentivise the purchase and use of diesel vehicles such that the market share of diesel passenger cars has increased from 14.1% of the new car market in 2000 to 50.8% //

http://cleanairinlondon.org/sources/investigation-into-governments-failure-to-control-carcinogenic-diesel-exhaust/#sthash.u4Mll7uY.dpuf

[youngmafbog]

You cannot suddenly expect people to change their cars simply becasue it is the new flaour of the month. It was not so long ago they were encouraged.

I have a diesel vehicle, its a truck that does 17-20 mpg and will carry 1 ton payload if that changed to petrol it would use bucket loads.

Of course for new cars it is different but there are no tax advantages not to buy diesel in fact many diesels are less to tax. Having said that the wifes new SLK will be petrol when it arrives next month.

I agree with TTT that there is a need to do it reduce it, but its how to get there, it cannot be overnight more like 10 years.+.

[anotheoldgit]

Why has the UK simply this problem, are other large cities in Europe free of the problem of Diesel vehicles?

Perhaps they should ban all vehicle fuel emissions from our roads, just like they are slowly banning tobacco smoking from all areas?

[Zeuhl]

^
Surprisingly perhaps, very little of our transport infrastructure is reliant on people smoking cigarettes

[Gromit]

AOG

// UK companies usinesses are offering to remove diesel particle filters (DPFs) and disconnect emission control units for as little as £299.  CAL has heard that cheap DPF’s are being sold from the UK, perhaps including those removed from UK vehicles, into Germany where they may be fitted to enable vehicles to comply with local low emission zone standards. //

[LazyGun]

"Why has the UK simply this problem, are other large cities in Europe free of the problem of Diesel vehicles?

Perhaps they should ban all vehicle fuel emissions from our roads, just like they are slowly banning tobacco smoking from all areas"

No,we are not unique - plenty of hotspots around the world/europe.

And taking action on diesels is not "sudden". Improving air quality, particularly the reduction in particulates and Nox has been a strategic aim for some while now.

[ToraToraTora]

I accept that many have bought into this and it's not an easy problem but this NOx issue is not going away on it's own. I think the answer is to start from now and discourage further diesel cars by taxing the new ones accordingly. There are vans pick ups etc that, fair enough, are diesel but is it really necessary to have standard family saloons etc? start there.

[FredPuli43]

It sounds as though New Judge last examined a diesel engine when it required a petrol engine to start it ! :) The modern diesel engine, as fitted to Jaguars, BMWs and my own Skoda, Octavia VRS TDi has low emissions but has far better mileage per unit of fuel and also has fantastic torque for the engine capacity, hence better acceleration at key speeds.

[ToraToraTora]

cheaper......PMSL, wait for the EMG light to come on... then tell me!