Understanding the choices and options regarding how we fuel our vehicles now and in the years to come has always been relatively straightforward; unleaded, diesel or AFVs (Alternatively Fuelled Vehicles).
Buyers take advice and guidance from authoritative sources, and when encouraged by incentives from the Government, those choices become easier. Just as we’re now encouraged to buy hybrid or all-electric, there was a time (in recent memory) that the same applied to diesel – we were actively encouraged to take the diesel option.
Research tells us that diesel perhaps may not be the saviour of the internal combustion engine, even with such giants as Bosch actively working toward better solutions, society is in crisis, with worldwide legislators introducing a raft of changes without any definite plan.
Banned from cities
One such example of ‘no clear plan’ is the recent placing of signs within the city of Hamburg, Germany, that are banning the use of diesel on two major roads within the city. Despite the signs being placed in readiness for a ban, no clear outline or structure has been issued as to what diesels will be targeted – everything but the current Euro 6 compliant vehicles? Or Pre-Euro 5?
Critics are saying that it is nothing more than a gimmick; the two roads in question just happen to have air monitoring stations on them, and there is the issue that any detour would likely lead to extra miles being added to a journey, therefore, more pollution.
Here in the UK, we’ve already seen a surfeit of owners that have been penalised for following the Government’s advice, which now leaves them facing punitive taxes, both directly and indirectly, and yet the Business Secretary, Greg Clark has insisted “there is still a place for diesel”.
Road to Zero
With the confusion in Germany, and the ever-changing opinions regarding the use of diesel here in the UK, is it any wonder that new car sales have slumped by 8% over the last year? Or that diesel sales in particular are down 32%? Some cynics may say that Clark’s statement is a rather ineffectual push to boost sales of new cars, but until a clear strategy is in place, the market will remain deflated.
Despite the lack of clarity, or set policy, other organisations are looking to implement measures targeting diesel vehicles also; Richard Cairns, Headmaster at the independent Brighton College, has recently spoken of targeting environmental issues. He plans on creating a working group, made up from the school’s sixth-formers to investigate the effects of diesel, and he’s not ruled out the banning of teachers and parents using diesel cars from entering the site.
Also in the news
Has the government rushed ahead?
Trying to make sense of the where the legislation is at is a minefield. We know that certain documents have been leaked regarding the Road to Zero policy, we also know that some statements made are baseless and mean very little – the banning of hybrids that can’t manage 50+ miles on electric power only in 22 years means nothing.
But what with diesels? It seems that the world is against them, and yet our Business Secretary has made a bold statement saying they’re not yet dead, and he sees a future for them. To quantify the statement, he has said that it could be a further option, perhaps for long-distance haulage, but surely that’s not an acceptable answer?
How will this affect you?
Logic tells us that buying a diesel right now isn’t the sensible choice, and given the slump in sales numbers, it would seem that buyers agree. However, it’s looking more likely that these proposed regulations are ‘fluid’ and very likely to be different in a year, never mind in ten or even twenty years.
Germany is the first country in the world to set an outright ban like this, and other European cities are set to follow, but again, it seems possible that the ban is potentially more of a political move, rather than one to help with air quality, this is purely about showing their commitment and ‘hardline’ stance – a little style over substance if you will.
If you own a diesel, there is no doubting that you’re going to see an increase in the cost of ownership, but as always, there are things that you can do to minimise that expense. If you’ve already registered with PetrolPrices, download the app to give you a clear understanding of where to find the cheapest fuel in your locale while you’re on the go.
Keep an eye on supermarket price wars or discount vouchers, they can save you approximately £5 per fill, this could equate to around £260 per annum as an average. Of course, make sure your car is mechanically up to the job – no sticking brakes, slipping clutch, dirty air filter or flat tyres.
Aside from that, we’re all just waiting to see which way the Government is leaning, once things have been clarified, we’ll be sure to tell you.
Do you feel that the government are deliberately muddying the waters? We can’t see a clearly defined plan or strategy, do you? Should we just forget about fossil-fuel and embrace the future of electricity and PHEVs? Let us know in the comments below?
what about towing caravans
Exactly, just not convinced electric will tow very far.
And that’s the main reason I drive a diesel.
what about towing caravans
Until the new regulations are announced people won’t be able to trust their own judgement
Just bought a new diesel but rather than a range of 700 miles, it’s 580! Tank’s a gallon smaller but I’ve got range anxiety. Plus, it’s pumping more of that dpf cleaning stuff in the atmosphere and the exhaust is dirty because it’s burning glue from adblue. Two steps back!
The Adblue is pig p**s and it helps clean the emissions. If the exhaust is still dirty then you need to get the car exhaust checked.
If your tank is smaller then what do you expect but less miles per tank??
I feel that the government policy regarding diesel is a knee jerk reaction which they have pounced on to fall inline, especially as only a few years ago, that diesel was the saviour of the environment.
Of course they will now use it as an excuse to drag in tax from diesel vehicles. This happens regularly, after all it was their policy to redesign the road tax system, which has now bitten them on the backside.
The tax has already start as a supermarket near me is charging 124.9p per litre and one that is more or less across the road is still only 120.9p per litre.
A big name company has the balls to charge 147.9 for their normal Diesel which will make the better Diesel almost I think 157.9 – 160.9p per litre.
If that’s not ripping people off then I don’t know what is.
The price increase has nothing to do with tax, oil prices have been soaring in the last few months which is pushing the prices of both Unleaded and diesel , places that charge high prices like 147.9 are generally motorway services due to their extra costs they have to pay for their location and also small villages due to a lower demand
Roger, whilst I agree with most of your view, the fact remains that the higher the pump price the more tax goes into the Governments coffers – they are very unlikely to shout the rises down.
If that’s what you are happy to believe, Roger, then go ahead. Motorway services charge higher prices because they can, a captive market! The volume of fuel they shift should give them better purchasing power together lower prices, but that will not be passed on to the customer but instead swallowed up by the greedy operators.
Time for Roger to go to specsavers or atleast switch brain on before opening mouth.
YOU LIVING IN CLOUD CUCKOO LAND
more than 50 % of the cost of fuel is PURE TAX
its 80% atm
My local supermarkets are now charging almost £1.30 per litre for diesel, u p almost £0.10 a litre in a matter of days.
I was encouraged by the government to buy diesel when I bought my car and am now being severely punished for doing so.
There should be a moratorium for cars purchased when government strategy was in place encouraging purchase of diesel cars.
Yes I noticed our local supermarket Morrison ‘s the first to put fuel prices up when ever there’s a sniff of news about the price of a barrel of oil going up 1.28.9…outside of P Talbot area gets cheaper Why?..Also told by Tesco Just up the road why that’s not cheaper because it’s outside the mile radius so no competition…Thanks for thinking of your customers
I think with the electric cars you will be forever paying out. I read a study the other day which said the battery in these cars has to be replaced every 3 years at an average cost of £3.000 at today’s prices. So in the long run that’s more things going into landfills
The manufacturer of my Hybrid guarantees the battery for 8 years and the price for replacement I was quoted when buying the car was a breath-taking £11,000. That price will fall. There are reports of batteries still going strong after 250,000 miles, but this may incur a 20% loss of capacity. I think you are being a bit pessimistic, however time will tell. Meanwhile I am enjoying 68 mpg in everyday running.
Large 2ltr 190 hp diesel 4×4 estate capable of 56mpg at sensible running speeds, with 750 ish miles range. The economics are difficult to beat , plus no stopping every few miles to top up.
When the government were pushing diesel cars, they quickly realised they were loosing revenue at the pumps, fix , higher tax on diesel fuel for being efficient.
It’s time the questions were asked.
When we all have to drive Electric cars, where is the power generation coming from?
Where are the resources to make the battery coming from and at what cost . The rare minerals will also become finite and expensive.
While I can I will stick to my diesel.
Are you sure th price will fall, as demand gets higher for a limited resource then the price is only going to go up, battery cars have not been around long enough to gauge the life of them, let’s not forget the manufacturers mpg figures, optimistic.
It’s all just a thing that the government has brought in to make a lot more money from motorist, the motorist are just an easy target for them, after all someone has to pay all their wages.
Nothing wrong with modern Euro 5/6 engines it’s old diesel cars/buses/lorries.i normally change our 2 diesel cars every 2/3 years not this time going to keep for 5/7 years due to poor P/X values.
The government have done long term damage to car sales due to demonising modem diesel vehicles
Got news for you:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/how_toxic_is_your_car_exhaust
Agreed. The government have taken a ridiculous black or white approach. They’ve illogically demonised all diesel cars instead of focusing on getting the most polluting vehicles (all types) off the road, for example those without Diesel Particulate Filters. As a result, I too am planning to keep my four year old diesel for longer, another ten years instead of another four.
My car is Euro 5 and is hit very hard both for VED(despite being just over the threshold of the higher duty band and fuel costs. Very unfair as I am on a limited budget as a pensioner who only uses a car to carry my disabled wife around. I can no longer afford more than essential journeys only.
I totally disagree with Mike Powdrill. My diesel 13 years old and is properly maintained and have never failed an emission test-. However why is the car the one that is always vilified when Van,Lorries,buses/coaches are some of the worst offenders . Also I have seen plenty of petrol fueled cars blenching black smoke yet these are never mentioned. And some of us cannot afford to buy a car every 2/3 years and public transport is too expensive and not easy to use on long journeys. I have a wife who has a mobility problem and to get to essex from where we live is 3 trains and two taxis. and then my daughter has to ferry us about because she lives in a small village with no public transport.So my car is cost effective and needed. Again hit the poor who are unable to change their cars as regularly as Mike
Spot on.
Could agree more.
Parliament is in panic mode.
Well said Michael, we have two diesels from 2007 and 2008 both Euro 4 at 86k miles and 106k miles neither of which are close to end of life and run very well, both averaging 61mpg, neither of them have ever put out smoke of any sort. That being said, they get good runs every time they are driven no short journeys and are serviced properly as required. We can’t afford to change cars, at least not to something that would be the same size and as cheap to run as our current cars. Government must think everyone is either made of money and can buy an electric car or lives in a city and must use public transport.
By the way, buses and coaches always seem to be the worst offenders. In my nearest city there are coaches in use over 20 years old which do puff out thick black smoke and a have a depot right in the middle of a housing estate.
VW started all this in 2015.
Mike, I agree completely with your comments.
I’m hanging on to my 4 year old ‘clean’ Euro 5 Leon ST 2 L diesel.
Just had a 4th year major service and MOT which showed emissions low on all fronts.
I really want a new Leon ST – ‘cleaner?’ Euro 6 – diesel but the government have made it more expensive to do so.
The sooner real world test figures for all emissions and fuel economy become available the better.
Then we can have a proper conversation.
Changing both your cars every 2-3 years is probably about the most damaging thing you can do where the environment is concerned, when you consider the huge environmental impact of manufacturing a new car.
as someone on the bottom of the vehicular food chain I’d hate to put people off creating the flow through which eventually sees me being able to afford a replacement car. I usually get them a few years before it is time for it to die, and I inevitably spend masses more per mile on it than someone with a new car doing lots of leisure miles because i end up with mostly essential journeys only in our rural location.
In some ways the more often the new car buyers replace their vehicles the better quality cars we all end up driving and the less old tech unfiltered stuff there is around.
SO go ahead those who can afford it, buy a new car, bring second hand prices down and improve the quality of what we’re all driving.
I would look forward to the day I could afford an electric car, but I suspect I’d have to drive for over half an hour to find a charge point still 🙂
I agree Mike, the cost of keeping an older Derv car gets greater, but I think I’ll keep my Cap6 Car longer, and there are good savings for the rest of the Derv group at the moment. Remember when buying a replacement just who got us into this mess by cheating the Cap6 tests in the 1st place! The German manufacturers! So now Germany leads the way in banning Derv?
Surely the government or anyone that bans the drivers of Diesel cars from entering certain area of the UK or sites (like Schools) is against the law in its own right. Could it not be seen as blackmailing the whole country to go to petrol / electric / hybrid vehicles??
The bigger problem the government and fuel depots are going to have is getting rid of what is left over once they make Petrol as ( and please correct me if I’m wrong here ) Diesel is made from the the left over fuel. If that is the case then what are the Goverment and fuel depots going to do with all the waste fuel?? Surely they can not just burn it all off as that would be putting even more pollution into the air.
Just sometimes information becomes available to how bad something is, ie diesel emissions now if the government didnt do anything about it they would be damned and if they do they are damned! Me I have known for years that diesels are a gross polluter, everybody that reads are watches tv has known about it! So it shouldnt come as no surprise to anybody that action is now being taken. So if you have bought a diesel since say 2015 when VW were caught cheating, you have known that diesels kill people and if you lose money on it you only have yourself to blame.
I have listened to a succession of government ministers “preaching” on this subject and come to the conclusion that the latest VED rises were made by individuals who who really don’t understand the subject matter.
That’s right Rod. Nobody in any government has a clue when it comes to anything technical. They only respond to pressure groups or people who shout loudest. The environmental lobby has a lot to answer for in my opinion, it is them who promoted the push for diesel to lower CO2. Now they are shouting about NOX. What will they do when CO2 rises as people move back to petrol. They will target them also and try and push everybody onto EV’s. Then the problem will be the national grid. Oh dear will someone please get a grip.
The government needs to stop this vigilante war on diesel cars. It is crippling the industry, and taxing the owners to death. A lot of the talk from government about diesel cars, is very unfounded. So they need to back off, and give us all a break.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/how_toxic_is_your_car_exhaust
Och cummoon it’s the government not thinking past the end of its nose again. What will it be next finding a way to tax the air we breathe. They don’t think it out or should I say they don’t have the skills to do that. To many in government are not suitable for the job they do. I understand pollution and the health risks but what about major industries who pump out more into the atmosphere. We know how far it travels in the wind. Give motorists. Well deserved break. Some of us need cars S public transport is non existent.
the winds have blown sand from the Sahara desert that has landed on cars in England and several years ago we had small frogs blown in the wind ,other countries produce pollution which is blown over England but we get charged for it by our stupid goverment ,its a money making scam
All this speculation is nonsense, no world government has a clear understanding of the real issues nor practical solutions.
For the time being I am ignoring it all and have just bought a new euro 6 compliant diesel car simply because from a running cost perspective it beats the alternatives hands down!
I also own a pickup which is only Euro 4 compliant and is over 9 years old. Having just had the emissions tested I know that it is well capable of beating even the latest standards laid down for diesel engines. Pollution levels from an engine in a large part come down to how well the engine is maintained.
For me this highlights just what a load nonsense the legislation is already.
As for starting to ban certain diesels from specific places/city centres, for me it’s simple. I just won’t go there any more and if regulation starts to drive people away from city centres no doubt there will be a great fuss about falling business etc etc.
There should be a tax on the exhaust leaving the mouths of government ministers – it could solve the national debt – overpaid underworked non-experts
Decisions are being made by short sighted fools who believe any rubbish supposed experts give or tell them; if it makes a name for them or increases their ‘ratings’; without any thorough independant investigation.
I want to know what pressure is being put on China and the like to reduce their increasing polution/ carbon footprint !
Here we ; and the Euromob; are all postulating and coming up with hare-brained ideas to clean up the atmosphere while halfway round that very same world they are poluting it faster with each passing day !
What is the EU or our government doing about it…nothing !
I remember a few years back the big thing was diesel will save us all. Today diesel is the worst thing you can have. If governments were to do their homework then we would all have a better picture instead of guessing again. Apart from that they then gave incentives to buy now to penalise drivers. Where is their accountability for false information!
the government advised everyone to go to diesel cars for better economy years ago and are noe pemalising us for doing so.
All diesel car owners should get fogether and sue the government for the loss in value of their cars !!
Lots of folk cannot afford to purchase another replacement.
Lets be honest it was Gordon Brown who led the dash for diesel cheered on by the green lobby. To say the government was responsible is misleading and avoids placing responsibility were it should lie.
Its now the green party that’s trying to ban diesel we should BAN THE GREEN PARTY, diesel is cheaper to refine than petrol and is used by almost every country in the world as its cheap and not as inflammable as petrol ,its this country that charges the most for the cheapest fuel
Just have a look at the people making these promises about banning diesel engines. What do THEY drive? Large powerful gas guzzlers. How many of the rich and famous who attended the recent royal wedding arrived in hybrid cars? Probably none. Does the PM or any of her cabinet use hybrids? No. It’s alright to victimise the average motorist, but the people in power “need” their large luxury vehicles. When they are using hybrids and PROVING to the average motorist that hybrids can do the same job as diesel or petrol motors AT A SIMILAR COST, I’ll think about buying one.
I purchased what I presumed one of the cleanest diesel cars around last year before all this cane to a head, now frustrated that I tried to do my bit, but when look at lorries trains ships, buses ect, ten time worse than most diesel cars it seem as if the Lonely motorist is the target again no matter what you do.
Not so long ago the government said diesel was the be all and end all for travel now they have turned around to use diesel as a tax grabbing excuse
Don’t blame the Government, as always we turn on the Government.
The scientists are to blame for telling us the truth. Don’t we hate the truth? Previously they informed us the Diesel was more economic, therefore the Government steered us in that direction.
Because the latest information we now have is informing us the diesel is worse than petrol. What do we expect from any government, should they ignore this information. They would be dammed if they did. Surely it’s best to be dammed for honesty? So we now take a different direction.
What the future holds has got everybody GUESSING. Diesel may yet prove to be as good as petrol and maybe better. Back to the scientists to give us the answers. Were waiting.
Governments are only a mirror of the vociferous populous. They are trying to go forward, driving in the new direction down a road that’s not yet been built. The road is being built and reassembled as they follow it.
Do not go headlong at high speed, caution is the only safe way ahead.
Technological development is bringing new answers all the time. If Petrol is promoted today, what happens in the near future when petrol will be seen as the villain. Who then do we blame?
Not wide public (therefore politicians as well) knowledge but Modern Petrol DI engines have particulate issues which should require GPF’s that will need to work also at a wide range of exhaust temperatures – including very low.. Not sure if these are fitted widely by OEM’s….
Lthium Ion Batteries (used not just in EV’s) need lots of Cobalt…where to get it from? DRC (Child Labour etc., China who are endeavouring to secure all sources? A few reasons for more wars here (forget those over oil!). Don’t I love these eco warriors…not!
The reason diesel was favoured over petrol was not the mpg, but the co2 it emitted was less from diesel than petrol.
The demonisation of diesel in the most part comes front volkswagon and the emissions fiasco, they are now digging themselves out of a hole withers and Hybrids
Where do you draw the line? Trucks and large vans could not run on petrol engines unless they were thundering great V8s like they have in the USA. Even electric trucks would be a long way off. Then what about trains and ships? The whole thing has not been thought out very well and by the look of it by people who know absolute nothing about transport and power units. Its almost as naive as Marie Antoinette’s “Let ’em eat cake.”
The trick is to look at the government’s track record on issues where the outcome is unclear. Pensions policy since 1948 is a good example. Every few years the govt of the day comes up with a new policy. And this is what will happen with cars. No one knows what the right answer is, taking a guess would be idiocy, research is a way of justifying the wrong answer. So the best plan is to choose a policy which matches the fashion of the day, produces good soundbites and is unlikely to lose the next election. Of course it will be one-size-fits-all whether you live in a town and can’t park or you live in the country and can’t do without a car. On it goes. You must learn to live with it.
This anti diesel car agenda is a typical Government soft target policy designed to be seen to be doing something because it looks good. No action to tackle the big business polluters like the aviation industry pumping exhaust directly into the atmosphere and dumping fuel if the need arises. Where does that go then??? Also what gets chucked out by diesel locomotives at any railway station especially when they pull away. Never gets a mention does it! No much easier to target ordinary folk once again and get them on a guilt trip having conned us in the first place. And don’t get me started on wood burning stoves in dwellings in towns & cities.
Oh, I DO miss the ‘sixties, before the Thought Police took over the planet
Politicians thinking things through is not something that happens in reality – laws of ‘unintended consequences’ come into play. Regarding EV’s and their batteries (read across to all aspects of LIthium Ion Battery usage) – where will the Cobalt come from?
HYDROGEN where has it gone! all this talk about Electric cars, what about their end of life contaminating Battery’s who and how are we going to get rid of them ??, The only waste from Hydrogen is H20 ( Water ) and by all accounts we will be needing more of that in the future, There has to be some reason why money and time are not being spent on research ?.
Easy the explosions from hydrogen are huge so is it safe? it takes a lot of energy to produce and then it has to be transported, when its in the car its used to make electric so just cut out the middleman [hydrogen] and save a lot of time energy and money using electric in the first place. By the way batteries are recycled
Yes what is going on with hydrogen power. I am not an expert but it seems the ideal fuel, why no progress or reports. As for the danger of explosion, petrol has massive explosive energy and we worked round that ok and it takes a lot of energy to produce. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, makes you think doesn’t it.
There’s no profit in it, simple as that.
The government has swung from one extreme (encouraging diesels) to the other extreme (demonising diesel).
In fact, when you compared REAL emission tests of modern petrol and diesel cars, many diesels are vastly cleaner than petrol, especially in the small petrol-engined category.
It is the older diesels that are the real problem. (And of course, there’s the problem with big trucks that defeat the Adblue technology too.)
So the government need to start a rolling program of taking older diesels off the road. They also need to introduce hundreds more mobile exhaust testing units that can stop any vehicle at random and test the emissions.
Then if they are really genuine in the need to clean the air that we breathe, they need to look at industry, agriculture, railways and shipping who are all significant polluters. And they should ban all bonfires and stoves. (Why shouldn’t wood have 65% duty?)
All in all, there’s a long way to go to clean the air and they should stop demonising diesels as modern diesels are far from big polluters.
I live in the outskirts of London and now the London Mayor wants to make a name for himself by increasing the new ULEZ to the boarders of the north and south circular roads. It seems that he does not see how this will effect most of the people in this area. Looking just around where I live I would say 80% of the vehicles if not more would be subject to paying £12.50 a day to use their vehicle or as the Mayor wants is to force us all to purchase a new car which would cost us thousands of pounds. In my case I am a pensioner and I need my car to get about as my knees are not as good as they used to be. Then there is young families just starting out where are they going to find thousands of pounds to get a new car. The Mayor and Parliament it seems does not care about how this will effect the people and the hardship it will cause. Yes manufactures should now be made to make better low pollution vehicles and busses should be changed but for the people who own a vehicle for their private use it should be phased over a much longer period.
What is Euro V?
Electric cars not presently feasible . Fossil fuels you can top up the tank and have full range in 5 mins . Battery charging takes HOURS if you can find a charger . Last year I looked into a Nissan Leaf , on their site there were 3 charging places in Scotland , Ikea in Glasgow and Edinburgh and the motorway services at Stirling. I dare say there are more now but how can this be a serious alternative. Something also has to generate the electricity. If the government want to go green why don’t they limit engine size to 1 litre and encourage efficiency . Who needs a 6.3 litre engine on modern roads and especially in a city .
I understand that the particular form of nickel required for hybrid and electric car batteries comes from the Sudbury Mine in Ontario. I don’t know what the reserves are, but you can see on Google Maps the vast area of open cast mining in that locality. The nickel is shipped to the places of manufacture…so what is the “carbon footprint” of these wonderful hybrid and electric cars? Their environmental benefits may not be quite as portrayed. And with rapid changes in technology who knows if the current electric cars will not be obsolete in a few years? I’ll stick to internal combustion, albeit driven gently and sparingly and well-maintained, until I have no choice.
“Government promises” – there is a statement to conjure with.
Half way through some “Expert” will decide differently.
Could it be I am a cynic?
I can’t see facing out diesel completely as petrol is as bad as diesel if not worse. I can’t see electric cars can replace petrol/diesel in the near future as we are not seeing any mass production of these vehicles. It’s government trick to take more revenue from motorists.
no electric car as far as i know is able to pull a caravan very far but my diesel yeti will and still do 36- 38 mpg i do agree that badly maintained diesel cars churn out filthy black smoke mostly taxis! which also have lights out and goodness knows what else is wrong with them.
I have been driving diesel cars since 1984 and until recently spent most of my time driving in London’s rush hour traffic on the busiest of roads-some 40 plus years-so II would have expected to have some lung damage(especially as I was smoking around 60 luxury length cigarettes a day. However having had my checked a couple of months ago and, despite being in my 70’s I apparently first class lung function! So why when I have at considerable risk according to those banging on at particulates should this be? Any answers please.
Will we see a government incentive to buy PHEVs or full electric cars to replace Diesel cars?
Governments portrayal of fossil fuels as being the Black Death, is clearly a haphazard attempt to please the pressures of Brussels is clearly full of hypocrisy and contradiction. The reason for the mass confusion, and hysteria towards fossil fuels is far reaching than the supposedly ‘destruction’ of the world. Firstly, some scientist believe that the Ozone is on its natural cycle and replenishing itself. How then did the ice age occur and then disappear? Was Jeremy Clarkson single handedly responsible? The whole ideology behind ‘saving the planet’, and the partial following it has falsely manufactured, is based upon creating a new revenue, and not based upon reliable science. This foolish carrot used to save the world through propaganda is the most powerful weapon to propagate in order to hypnotise an audience who are incapable of independent thought. Reading and questioning was that which made Greek philosophers great, and who founded today’s ideas – I doubt that Plato et al, would agree, but people ask yourselves:
Are the untold facts revealed to is in the media about how pollutant electric cars are far far greater than diesel or petrol or are they revelled to us through dishonourable, clandestine strategies to lie and mislead us, which is poorly administered, misdirecting us with false information, leading us from the truth? Such as: Whatever power stations you use to generate power, leaves its own foot print greater than diesel and petrol – read the objective literature from real scientists. The emissions from an electric car is an average of 160 co as well as higher nitro oxide; the average for a car is 120 and getting lower! The cost of running and having to build power stations to power all industry, houses, cars and in short, the whole country, has been stated by the national grid as well as government, not to be cost effective. Who’s going to pay for it all, and forfeit the revenue lost? Is the government going to loose trillions of revenue so that we can drive around on laughable cars which travel 50 miles despite all the propaganda that these electric cars travel over three times the manufactured figures? – read about the real figures. How else are the manufactures and governments going to sell them if they tell you the truth…?
Are the government going to loose road tax revenue, if all cars are ‘green’, and the revenue from fuels if all it takes is a few pounds to charge your ‘save the plant car…’ How do you in reality justify the new road tax system when a clean car is punished for being clean and an old car still pays the same? A tank is exempt from congestion charging, so how much tax will it pay? Classic cars pay next to nothing in road tax and do not need an M.O.T… they must be the cleanest cars of all, so let’s all buy one.
Now, think about the much cleaner diesel and petrol engines being produced with the addition of Loughborough University producing an almost zero emissions engine, or Bosch producing a system which can be attached to your engine, as long as it is not too old, or other manufacturers now following suit, all with the same outcome. Has the government revealed these to the public? What about the new engine VW have now produced with almost zero emissions way beyond the made up significance level of where particles should be according to the government? – research how the ‘ Road kerb Pollutant Test’, it’s not science! This new technology for diesel and petrol is far cheaper and cleaner than electric cars, more efficient, has a greater range, more miles to a gallon, does not need pollutant power stations being built at the end of your village, does not require the decimation to the countries infra structure, will not collapse the car market and not be linked with Brexit, or used as an attack on geopolitical enemies, so that their gas and oil is no longer required. The consequences are insurmountable. Governments who suffer from delusions of superiority, who are in positions beyond their intellect and wisdom, as always, do not consult with reality as we have seen. This is not to say that helping the world is a foolish idea, but a noble one, but it must be conveyed to the people with truth, honesty and understanding. Since it has better options than the pretense of electrical cars, which far exceed the standards set by governments by diesels and petrol cars, then you have an existing answer. Do not forget what they did with the Prius campaign. Once people bought them under the guise that they were exempt from congestion charge, they withdrawal that exemption. Many countries have no interest in going ‘green’ as it is unaffordable. Finally, is the plutonium used to bomb another country going green? Are all the military vehicles going to use electric stealth technology to creep up on its pray? Is the Navy and RAF going green…I wonder how big the batteries need to be to propel a 50 ton tank 10 miles, or a air craft carry of say 100.000 tonnes….People, read the science, not the propaganda!
What about larger vans? I have a motorhome based on Fiat Ducato, and I don’t think there is a petrol version of vans like these.
I live out in the country, my twice a week local bus (into town at 9.30 back at 4.30) was withdrawn when Tony Blair was making a big fuss about everyone using public transport, now it means a three mile walk to a bus stop. I have severe arthritic knee and hip joints and cannot walk that far
I think it is so unfair being encouraged to buy Diesel cars and now penalising us for having one !!
I have a 2014 diesel car which is zero toad tax and is very economical to run and I thought that I was contributing to the reduction in co2 levels in our atmosphere. What is going to happen now if we all have to change to less economical petrol cars, will global warming increase and what then?
There is no doubt that any choices of motive power units will not be left to us. That choice will be made for political expediency based upon politicians’ perceptions of which will be the best vote catcher. As one wanders around out urban areas (walking a dog is a great way to observe many things!) it is plain to see that diesel vehicles are in the majority, by a significant margin. That being so, and for a long time yet to come, it is hard to envisage the short term demise of the diesel vehicle regardless of whether or not they may be pre-Euro 4, or 5, or 6, or whatever. It will be a brave politician that will enforce that sort of overnight burden upon the financially most vulnerable people in our society.
Having said all of the, that does not prevent us users from at least attempting personal mitigation of our environmental impact. The vast majority of car users are of sufficient personal mobility to try walking that bit more. Don’t jump into that cold-engined diesel car (or petrol one for that matter) to, say, post that letter in a box which is merely a few hundred yards away. That’s when the engine is operating at its most polluting. Don’t get the car out to go to a neighbour or relative who lives just around the corner. Don’t use a drop of rain as an excuse not to walk. Spend less than the cost of a tank-full of fuel to buy waterproofs! Furthermore, there are many ways we can all reduce our pollution footprint without scrapping our perfectly good cars just because the dishonest automotive industry is in a vested interest panic mode over falling sales.
I suspect the diesel vehicle will be with us for a long time yet, especially for heavy haulage and public transport. There are few, if any, viable alternatives on offer, other than our being more journey-efficient to reduce our fuel usage and concomitant emissions. As for looking to politicians to create, or even suggest, viable alternatives, that’s just pie in the sky. Their tenures in office are invariably so short their influences (and indeed their interests) are ineffective and, what’s more, they are mostly quite ignorant of the technology or potential solutions. Thus they will rely upon external and probably biased partisan advice and their judgements will commonly be in response to a personal reliance upon politically expedient knee-jerk reactions.
Stopping the School run. About time, it should have been done years ago. It would everyone, including the children if the school run was banned. The sooner the better for all of us.
If councils did not scatter children far and wide to random schools around the area instead of to the school nearest their homes the school run would, for the most part, no longer be a problem.
My 1991 Ford Escort diesel returns 60mpg and I shall continue to drive it.
We recently visited London for a Show by Train. Just Take a look at Coaches, Trucks, Vans, Tankers, River Boats, Cruise Liners, Tugs etc., that all use way more Diesel in the City! Why is it always the motorist that is penalised?
Its just a government scam to mske us all buy a new car. We got cond by Blair but not again. They as Bosch have proved make diesel ultra clean. If we go petrol the CO2 will increase by 25-30%. That is the one that gives you global warming. If they go electric then the unimployment in the auto industry will cost the government in unemployment benefit and we now do not have enough electrisity so every evening when every one comes home we will be in dark.
I think this situation is a complete Furbar.
The government, if they were so concerned about air polution, would show this by example.
There is far more polution from diesel engined railway trains than from cars. So why, when they were planning for the new Tweedbank to Edinburgh railway, did they not insist on it being electrified.
Perhaps when its joe publics expense, its fine to exploit that action, biut when the government are paying, thats an entirely different propercision. Hypocritical or what??
The governments don’t know what to do but feel obliged to be seen to be doing something. As long as it requires spending the taxpayers money the effectiveness will come secondary.
Clearly with the new Bosch technology being close to readiness, along with the same thing called ACCT being developed at the university of Loughborough,mthe Government and those around the world need to re think their plans.
If these systems can reduce NOx to almost zero then surely that’s better than high co2 producing petrols that need fueling more often, or electric cars that require us to mine tons of rare metals for the batteries, which then require fossil fuel to make the batteries and to charge them.
The government don’t seem to have a clue.
There is no getting away from the fact that diesel cars use less fuel than petrol ones, which is why they are popular with people on low incomes. Making new diesel cars more expensive is stupid, as it just encourages those who want a diesel because of the fuel economy, to keep their older ones for longer. Being a pensioner myself, on a pitifully low pension compared to other countries, I will have to keep my very old diesel car going for as long as possible, because when I can no longer use it I will no longer be able to own a car. I can’t afford to replace it.
In any case, cars are not the main problem, just an easy target. If all diesel cars were to be taken off the road tomorrow, the impact would be minimal. Until someone comes up with a viable alternative to the diesel engine, they will be with us for decades. Not in cars maybe, but in buses, trucks, cranes, construction equipment, road building/repairing equipment, farm machinery, back-up generators, trains, ferries, ships, and probably loads of other things I can’t think of at present. The fact is that we have become utterly dependent on the diesel engine, and there is no viable replacement.
Why is it that in London, old deisel taxis and buses are permitted to drive around with inpunity. If City hall / Mr Khan wants to clean up the air, the same rules should always apply to everyone, or is it that the cabies union paid towards his Mayrol campaign – synic that I am!