Diesel backlash
Discussion
After the recent smog problems and increased press coverage of the fact that diesel is still horribly polluting, do you think the gov will be forced to raise the price of diesel a lot once the economy is a bit better? It's about time everyone stopped obsessing about CO2 figures and focused on the stuff that poisons city air.
It isn't very politically attractive to 'attack' drivers of crappy Ecoboxes rather than the rich, but the current obsession with diesels as being 'green' is very hard to explain!
It isn't very politically attractive to 'attack' drivers of crappy Ecoboxes rather than the rich, but the current obsession with diesels as being 'green' is very hard to explain!
Seeing the average annual milage in the Uk is less then 9000 miles per year i haven't a clue why diesels are so popular
Actually i do know
People are dumb
My wife works with someone who has a daily round trip commute of less then a mile. She is tradng her petrol car in for a brand new diesel audi to save money.*
Also the focus to the genral public has been CO2, CO2 and CO2 while ignoring the rest of the crap that comes out the back of a car
So while a EV produces 5 times the amount of co2 (technomatt figures) of a petrol V8 it has zero local emission so hopefully people will realise they don't drive 150 miles everyday
I think we will see more and more hybrids that are petrol and capable of running in stealth mode under batteries only
[footenote]* it gets sillier she walks home at lunch to feed the cat[/footnote]
Actually i do know
People are dumb
My wife works with someone who has a daily round trip commute of less then a mile. She is tradng her petrol car in for a brand new diesel audi to save money.*
Also the focus to the genral public has been CO2, CO2 and CO2 while ignoring the rest of the crap that comes out the back of a car
So while a EV produces 5 times the amount of co2 (technomatt figures) of a petrol V8 it has zero local emission so hopefully people will realise they don't drive 150 miles everyday
I think we will see more and more hybrids that are petrol and capable of running in stealth mode under batteries only
[footenote]* it gets sillier she walks home at lunch to feed the cat[/footnote]
I would like to see a complete ban on diesel vehicles in London, most of the pollution seems to come from busses and taxi's. Now its getting warmer you can actually visibly see how smoggy it is somedays, visibility is reduced massively where you can't even see the tops of buildings a couple of km away.
Having enjoyed the benefits of a good, fast diesel, I'm me glad the car is now a petrol. Filling up is actually quite nice and it hits a higher emissions standard (6 rather than 5) than the diesel equivalent; if course it's more fun too!
Can't have a petrol van so no choice in that one.
Can't have a petrol van so no choice in that one.
I have read quite a few things in the news about diesel particulates and people's health lately. However it will take a big shift in taxation to change the mindset in this country that diesel is best. Despite improvements in petrol engines in the last couple of years hardly any larger or family sized cars sold are petrols now, and as for company cars!...
McWigglebum4th said:
Seeing the average annual milage in the Uk is less then 9000 miles per year i haven't a clue why diesels are so popular
Actually i do know
People are dumb
My wife works with someone who has a daily round trip commute of less then a mile. She is tradng her petrol car in for a brand new diesel audi to save money.*
Also the focus to the genral public has been CO2, CO2 and CO2 while ignoring the rest of the crap that comes out the back of a car
So while a EV produces 5 times the amount of co2 (technomatt figures) of a petrol V8 it has zero local emission so hopefully people will realise they don't drive 150 miles everyday
I think we will see more and more hybrids that are petrol and capable of running in stealth mode under batteries only
[footenote]* it gets sillier she walks home at lunch to feed the cat[/footnote]
i expect it was eu thing to hammer the tax on high c02 cars as that is why most people change. Retired neighbour got rid of his 3.0 jag for 1.5dci qashqui does about 10 miles a week!!!! His rational was he wasnt pay £270 plus for road tax!Actually i do know
People are dumb
My wife works with someone who has a daily round trip commute of less then a mile. She is tradng her petrol car in for a brand new diesel audi to save money.*
Also the focus to the genral public has been CO2, CO2 and CO2 while ignoring the rest of the crap that comes out the back of a car
So while a EV produces 5 times the amount of co2 (technomatt figures) of a petrol V8 it has zero local emission so hopefully people will realise they don't drive 150 miles everyday
I think we will see more and more hybrids that are petrol and capable of running in stealth mode under batteries only
[footenote]* it gets sillier she walks home at lunch to feed the cat[/footnote]
Its mad and then people who actually need a diesel have to pay over the odds.
Its all to do with brainwashing people into low road tax cars with higher fuel consumptions regardless of whether they do 6 miles a week to the papershop!
Diesels kick out black smoke that cant be good but all that is forgotten and with dpf the particulates getting so small they cause respotory issues in children.
ORD said:
After the recent smog problems and increased press coverage of the fact that diesel is still horribly polluting, do you think the gov will be forced to raise the price of diesel a lot once the economy is a bit better? It's about time everyone stopped obsessing about CO2 figures and focused on the stuff that poisons city air.
It isn't very politically attractive to 'attack' drivers of crappy Ecoboxes rather than the rich, but the current obsession with diesels as being 'green' is very hard to explain!
What has diesel got to do with the smog? Diesel particulates are much heavier than petrol particulates. Petrol particulates are more numerous, lighter, remain airborne longer and penetrate the lungs more deeply. Diesel produces more particulate by weight, but that is not the full story.It isn't very politically attractive to 'attack' drivers of crappy Ecoboxes rather than the rich, but the current obsession with diesels as being 'green' is very hard to explain!
One question I have asked repeatedly on these forums but have yet to receive an answer (and I can't be arsed to look elsewhere) - Europe has a much longer history than us of using diesel cars. In the not too distant past there used to be a huge price difference in the cost of diesel and petrol, with diesel being considerably cheaper than petrol in many European countries. This is something that was never enjoyed in the UK, and the UK really came late to the diesel car party.
Then you have to consider the numbers of hgvs that transit through many European countries, something else that doesn't happen here.
Given all this, how is that we a re supposedly suffering so much pollution from diesel than Europe?
The Wookie said:
McWigglebum4th said:
So while a EV produces 5 times the amount of co2 (technomatt figures) of a petrol V8
Eh??I get the point that most car buyers dont think very deeply about the total cost of running a car, but how on Earth was anyone ever persuaded that diesel was the way to go for economy and/or the environment?
The current generation of highly complex diesels are still very polluting (in the ways that matter), do not actually get great MPG in the real world and will be worth naff all once the turbos or injectors give up (making them, in the long term, not very good value as hardware).
I'm not impressed by the efficiency of the small turbo diesels and petrols. Real world mpg is almost always around 45-50, so you spend 2/3 as much as you would if you drove something with a 3 litre petrol engine and actually enjoyed your driving. I exaggerate, but it is hardly like these things are getting 70mpg and actually saving anyone money (once you take into account purchase costs, etc).
The current generation of highly complex diesels are still very polluting (in the ways that matter), do not actually get great MPG in the real world and will be worth naff all once the turbos or injectors give up (making them, in the long term, not very good value as hardware).
I'm not impressed by the efficiency of the small turbo diesels and petrols. Real world mpg is almost always around 45-50, so you spend 2/3 as much as you would if you drove something with a 3 litre petrol engine and actually enjoyed your driving. I exaggerate, but it is hardly like these things are getting 70mpg and actually saving anyone money (once you take into account purchase costs, etc).
heebeegeetee said:
What has diesel got to do with the smog?
Oxides of nitrogen would be the main thing, not particulates. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/08...
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