European commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska has branded diesel cars “the technology of the past”, saying that “I think in several years they will completely disappear”, with the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal being a catalyst for this.
Bienkowska, speaking to Bloomberg, said that following the emissions scandal, public sentiment is moving towards cleaner cars and a greater awareness of emissions.
The VW scandal sparked something of a civil war in the automotive industry, with manufacturers such as Volvo and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles openly laying out plans to abandon diesel power. FCA has pledged to stop selling diesels by 2022, while Volvo launched its final diesel-optioned car, the V60, in recent months.
Other manufacturers, such as Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover, have come to diesel’s defence, with JLR boss Ralf Speth saying: “The latest diesel technology is really such a step in emissions, performance, particulates; it’s better for the environment when compared to [an equivalent] petrol. Diesel has — needs — to have a future.”
Bienkowska’s comments go against pro-diesel car makers, which say that diesel is vital to combating global warming due to its lower CO2 output. “People have realised that we will never have completely clean, without NOx, diesel cars,” Bienkowska suggested.
With ever-tightening EU legislation on car emissions prompting protest from car manufacturers, diesel still represents a valuable lifeline to those that are less advanced in their progress towards the EU’s 66g/km CO2 targets than others. The 2030 CO2 goal is seen by many as a big push from the EU towards plug-in hybrids and electric cars. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association described the target as “aggressive when we consider the low and fragmented market penetration of alternatively powered vehicles across Europe to date”.
VW aims to have half of its range electrified by 2025, with 80 electrified cars planned in this timeframe, and sell one million EVs annually by that year. Volvo plans to sell hybrids to 50% of its customers by 2025, too, with every car released being offered with a hybrid option from the imminent S60 onwards.
The demonisation of diesel has prompted national and local legislation against this fuel type; the UK Government plans to ban non-hybrid internal combustion-engined cars by 2040, while some others plan bans before this date. German cities were recently awarded the right to ban older diesels from city centres, with Hamburg being the first to implement a ban on Euro 5 and older diesels in certain areas starting from 31 May. Several cities in the UK and abroad have announced similar strategies.
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