Beginning of the end?

[t-tony]

The demise of diesel engine car is coming and you'd better believe it following more comment from one of the biggest, if not the biggest manufacturer of diesel vehicles, the VAG.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/...ld-be-the-end-of-diesel/ar-AAl55g9?li=BBoPJKX

Just the tip of the iceberg.

Tony.

 

[Grumps]

Well I'm converted back to petrol now. We have 4 cars in the house and not one diesel.

 

[t-tony]

Just as it should be! lol.

Tony.

 

[Grumps]

Well this focus i've just bought is a prime contender to the diesel, more to the gallon, cheaper road tax and less at the pump.

 

[Redline]

There has to be a migration away from oil based fuels but it isn't there yet. It can't be left to free market economics either. Most manufacturers are centred aound diesel models for larger engines. Just pricing them out the market is likely to reduce sales overall. It's going to takes some while to rebalance the line-up.
I find it somewhat ironic that it's VAG saying this when they themselves have caused the loss of confidence in diesel Technolgy and developments. It will be another 5-8 years before you see any replacement of larger Diesel engines in cars.
The main reason is we've all grown used to cars with lots of torque delivered at low revs. Not sure I want to give that up with a high revving turbo-charged petrol when doing 15-20k miles pa. Around town doing just a few miles maybe but for longer distances and hours in the driving seat.
Government policy needs to look at why we're all doing so many miles especially for work and then also look closely at organisations who close offices and factories to relocate and centralise to reduce their costs at the expense of society and employees. The company wins and everyone loses.

 

[EnthuZiaZT]

This is great news for sports car drivers who drive with the roof down, especially if you've ever followed one that hasn't been serviced for ever.

Mike

 

[t-tony]

Agreed it is ironic the VAG should be one of the first looking to do this as you say Ian, but don't forget they have been the main driver in developing the Diesel engine in the first place, the first to use it in a racing series BTTC and European DTM too. The only reason they shot themselves in the foot in the USA is because they had pushed the emmmissions as far as they could (which causes the vast majority of repairs on Diesel engines) and all they could do was bend rules, the same ones they bend to breaking point over here in Europe, only we don't stand up to them like the USA did. VAG pulled along other luxury cars like BMW and they're suffering the same repair problems too.
The motor trade has always let the market follow its lead such as when catalytic converters were introduced and (at the start) 6 year anti-perforation warranty which turned into anti-corrosion warranty. It can't and won't happen over night but it will happen, and as you rightly point out we all have become to reliant on diesel and were even encouraged to do so back in the day when diesel was kept artificially cheap to make us.
I thoroughly dislike working on Diesel engines but that's just a personal thing, cheaper decent MPG alternatives are out there they say but not till all the oil is gone.

Tony.

 

[stevie_a]

I have been watching this develop for years although the diesel is, more to the gallon, cheaper road tax i have never thought it to be cleaner.

I have a Volvo Diesel, and i will be replacing it in Feb/March. I have been watching the rise of Tesla for years ( in fact since the development of the roadster)
If i could afford one, i would have one, but i cant so for my replacement i am looking at Hybrid

 

[Toby]

I have been watching this develop for years although the diesel is, more to the gallon, cheaper road tax i have never thought it to be cleaner.

I have a Volvo Diesel, and i will be replacing it in Feb/March. I have been watching the rise of Tesla for years ( in fact since the development of the roadster)
If i could afford one, i would have one, but i cant so for my replacement i am looking at Hybrid

Mmmm Tesla roadster

Wonder where the styling came from .........

 

[hard top]

Mmmm Tesla roadster

How about one of these?.......
http://koenigsegg.com/

 

[Toby]

How about one of these?.......
http://koenigsegg.com/

Yeah, why not in fact can I have 2 ? One for week days and another for the weekend

 

[Jack Ratt]

We've got 3 oil burners in our house, 4 if you include my works Fiesta. Jill's got a Polo, No1 son has a Saab and youngest has a V50 Volvo

 

[oldcarman]

Diesel has never really caught on here in Canada in small vehicles with most being in pickups! Canada has plenty of oil but the extraction is ruining our pristine environment with pipelines going every direction but mostly to the USA for processing to be sold back to us at a premium price. And what is all that fracking doing to the Earth's crust and Indiginous People's Ancestral lands?? JIM

 

[Poprin]

Never was a fan of diesel but basically have to own one for my company car. Pretty much decided never to own another one after I watched this episode of Dispatches and I strongly suggest everyone watches it!

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/the-great-car-con-channel-4-dispatches

 

[Russell O]

Only ever had one diesel that I didn't buy to move on and loved the torque of the 3 litre turbo but modern diesels are very costly in the long run.
They can only re-generate the emissions for so long then it's going to cost a lot of money, A hell of a lot of money. From 80K onwards the DPF is on the way out if not before that mileage.1K plus. Yes you can get them cleaned out and the faults removed from the ECU but the problem will come back.
Petrol engines are so good now with power and economy and with Hybrid thrown in it's a no brainer really.
just petrol all the way for me though at the moment.
Can't afford petrol/Battery Power regeneration at this time but got to be the future.

 

[t-tony]

Spot on Russ, higher mileage Oil burners are where the problems lay, and not every one can have the new ones. Don't get me wrong here, I did love the torque of the 2.0 VW diesel and DSG Auto box but when the faults start to come, and they will, it gets expensive.

Tony.

 

[Low Rider]

I've only ever owned 1 diesel car.
Give me petrol any day.

 

[Russell O]

Spot on Russ, higher mileage Oil burners are where the problems lay, and not every one can have the new ones. Don't get me wrong here, I did love the torque of the 2.0 VW diesel and DSG Auto box but when the faults start to come, and they will, it gets expensive.

Tony.

Tony, I've also seen 30K mile diesel VAGs at 5 years old that have done very short journeys that the DPF has gone too. Just clog up as not given a good thrashing now and again.
I bet you have too in your profession. Diesel's used to be so simple but dirty. Now they are complicated and still end up being dirty.

Will be good to eventually afford the F1 technology that is around now. But at the moment looking at SL55 for a daily.....You only live once...

 

[t-tony]

That is another parcel of grief with diesels Russ, we have taxi owner/drivers who go all out for economy (it's part of their livelihood in fairness) but in doing so clog up their cars with soot and God knows what other nasties which have to be purged to get the car going again. And, as you point out re-generating DPF's and Cats just dumps all that crap in one spot at the end of the day.

Tony.

 

[hard top]

Have had two Merc diesels, never any problems with them.