Diesel fuel has been firmly in the crosshairs of the government and environmental campaigners for a number of years now, and December 2017 saw a record fall in sales for new diesel cars – down 31% from the previous December.
The reason why diesel, in particular, is being targeted is down to emissions; the combustion process produces Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), which include Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide and Nitric Oxide. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to some of these will significantly increase the risk of respiratory problems, and Particulate Matter (from diesel) has been shown to cause cancer.
Here in the UK, there were 11,940 premature deaths attributed to nitrogen oxide last year, and a further study put Oxford Street, London as the second highest level of nitrogen oxide pollution in Europe.
Test Bed Driving
Manufacturers have to prove their product emissions through the use of a test bed – an engine dynamometer or rolling road, which in theory, works well. Anyone in the automotive trade will tell you that these don’t simulate real-world driving conditions, and ‘driving’ a test vehicle in a cell that’s perfectly controlled (heat, humidity, load, speed, air pressure) doesn’t put the same demands on the engine or drivetrain.
This can lead to such situations that Volkswagen found themselves in back in 2015, although whether that was a deliberate abuse or genuine mistake, only Volkswagen know, but new European legislation was passed in 2017 that required new cars to be tested with RDE (Real Driving Emissions).
The Bosch Breakthrough
The regulation currently states that all new cars should emit no more than 168 milligrams of NOx per kilometre under urban, extra-urban and motorway driving, but that is set to be tightened further in 2020 – the target is 120 milligrams.
As one of the world’s best-known fuel-injection (FI) manufacturers, Bosch has developed a new FI system that could see the revival of diesel once again. In a recent statement, they say that 13 milligrams of NOx per kilometre is entirely possible, with no loss of economy and performance, and no increase in CO2 emissions.
They go on to say that even in the most extreme of conditions, they’re averaging just 40 milligrams per kilometre – still under a quarter of the current limit, regardless of weather, temperature, traffic or speed.
The system uses a combination of advanced fuel-injection technology, newly developed air management systems, and intelligent temperature management to make this possible, but Dr Volkmar Denner, Bosch CEO still believes there’s further development to be done with increasing reliability on artificial intelligence (AI).
Denner’s vision is to create an engine with virtually no impact on ambient air; no significant particulate or NOx emissions, for both unleaded and diesel engines.
Future Planning
We often see plans to reduce emissions, improve mpg, boost power, but they tend to be a statement of where a company wants to be heading rather than what they’ve been doing. In this case, the technology and components are available now, off-the-shelf, ready to be picked for a production run.
As to what this means to the sales price remains to be seen, but Bosch has said that it wouldn’t necessarily mean an increase to the price for a consumer, but as with any technology, it’s usually the end-user that pays for development.
So if you have diesel car that you know is high polluting, what can you do?
Waiting for the system to become commonplace isn’t really viable – despite what Denner says, manufacturers will have their production schedules in place for some time to come, so the reality is that we may not see the new wonder Bosch system fitted to a productionised car for at least a year, perhaps longer. Can we wait another year? Or does that mean all purchases are put on hold until it is on a production vehicle?
Nor do we know how viable it would be to retrofit this new technology, or even if it’s at all possible? There are over 12 million diesel cars registered in the UK, and while the newer diesels may be ‘clean’, it will take a number of years to replace all 12 million.
There’s very little you can do right now to change things, but you can at least ensure that your vehicle is working to the best of its abilities – making sure your particulate filter is clean is perhaps the biggest step, but the rest of it is regular, good practice; correctly inflated tyres, clean air filter, regular oil changes are just common sense and will help to keep your car running as it should.
It’s great to see that manufacturers are still pushing development of fossil-fuelled vehicles and that the death knell that appeared to be imminent might just have been postponed for now, but we’re still in the dark when it comes to plans. Of course, we could end up with further segregation for cars, but in all reality, unless the technology becomes widely adopted, and recognised by the government, this could be just a little too late.
With society knowing about the dangers of diesel, do you think that it’s possible that this could turn things around? Would you even look to swap from an unleaded vehicle to diesel if this became common practice?
For ambulances, fire engines, trucks, buses, farmers, the marine industry and caravan owners this has to be good news
Since the EU and the still slavish UK government have already decided that all combustion engines will be banned, short of a reversal of policy/legislation (both possible) any work by Bosch or any others will be pointless. Politicians with an eye only to re-election are not interested in new technology only soundbite publicity. As a diesel driver I can only hope for a more sensible future government. Electric may be one way forward but it will take many years to get technology and infrastructure in place before it can be viable. We only have to look at LPG take up, few bought because the fuel was not available, manufacturers didn’t build because volumes were insufficient, filling stations didn’t invest because of low sales,catch22.
That’s true we need to promote lpg. In Surrey we have a handful of stations that supply it. We can’t afford hybrid we are not all wealthy. But government could promote lpg……..
They also need to sort out the supply. All the lpg garages in the SE seem to use the same supplier and when this fails for some reason there’s no lpg to be had in the whole area. Since Christmas we’ve had at least 2 long periods without lpg and had to drive, very expensively , on petrol.
In my view the demonization of diesel has been yet another c**k up by government, I would agree that some diesel vehicles are very poor in their exhaust emissions, and that goes for truck’s, busses, taxies, trains, ships as well, proper servicing of your vehical will help a lot, but one must remember that not all diesel cars are fitted with DPF’s or catalytic converters, my own 04 plate car is in this bracket, and despite replacement of all the egr components except the turbo regular oil changes every 3 months and air filter change every six months my exhaust reading yesterday at its mot was 2.70 1/m with a limit of 3.00 1/m very disappointing but what else can I do the car is well maintained, and I am not able to replace the car with a newer one that has a dpf.
Now all the new diesel cars coming onto the roads now are fitted with all the DPF’s cat’s and run so much cleaner than older diesels so why are they being demonised ??
Another example of non-expert politicians (who are usually, lawyers, accountants, economist of political historians) making decisions for perceived political expediencies after having been led by their noses by ‘experts’ who have vested interests in pushing their own agendas
It sound’s to me like your engine is in need of a top end overhaul , i would suggest your valve’s are in need of some attention . My own car a 94 citroen ax has non of the modern electronic’s , or filter’s yet it emission readout last year was less than a third of the maximum allowed , i’m unable to give exact figure’s at this time , but it was around .3 . It too is subject to 3 month service’s , which includes oil flush and change , along with the filter . However air and fuel filter are changed annually , with the injector’s serviced , a maximum of every 60k , even my mot examiner is impressed given the the vehicle has covered 182k mile’s
I know what you’re saying, Mickey but as diesel engines run so much cooler, the valves and seats suffer very little pitting. I replied to Peter so it is unlikely to be the engine cylinder head.
Injectors can cause issues but normally it’s the driver being too gentle!
These modern engines need to be worked and gentle or stop-start driving does them no favours.
Just an excuse to apply yet an other tax
Peter, I’m guessing you do high mileage. Anyway, it seems like you are trying to keep the car well serviced. Direct injection ( diesel) has drawbacks. It could be wear in injectors etc but it is good practice to use all the engines performance regularly and especially just before an MOT. Driving gently for good fuel consumption causes high readings.
Ideally, give it the beans once a week to clear the induction system of oil and soft sooty deposits. It will still carbon/gum up but not as badly and full acceleration and higher speed running helps keep performance up.
Ironically, newer ‘environmental’ engines need to be driven harder to prevent emission control systems actually causing greater emissions.
It’s a crazy world.
In Oxford Street, its mainly buses and taxis, so again, demonisation of cars, but who is sorting out the real culprits – public transport and black cabs.
The pollution per passenger mile of a bus is, on average, far lower than that of a car.
As an Oxford St. pedestrian breathing this c***, that’s no great consolation.
in my area I frequently see Double Decker busses with only 1 or 2 passengers. One lady bus driver I was speaking to whilst she was fuelling up told me about 4 miles per gallon. To add insult to injury they are too big for the roads in the Cotswolds.
I’ve never seen a double decker in the fuel stations I use, they’d hit the cover above the pumps!
If you look carefully at Bob’s punctuation, you’ll notice he didn’t indicate that double-decker buses were refuelling at the garage.
Then you have never been to the Cotswolds!
Buses depots have their own fuel pumps, can you imagine a hundred or so buses at and Esso garage
The bus is usually not even half full in my area
Because of the milage I do in Europe I use a diesel and will continue to
Some may say pollute Europe allyou like……
That’s irrelevant. If a bus pumps out pollution it’s the same no matter how many people are on board.
It’s not irrelevant. If the bus became full up with people who were no longer driving their cars then all the extra pollution from those cars would be gone.
Yes but the buses engine would be working harder due to the extra weight it was carrying so that would put the emissions up so it’s not as straight forward as that.
If a bus emits say 100 milligrams per mile With 10 people on then if you fill the bus up with 32 people it will emit more than 100 milligrams per mile. If that 32 people are an additional 20 cars off the road then it will not reduce the emissions levels by the full 20 cars. It might reduce the emissions for that journey by 10 cars worth, which is still better but makes what you said James as not strictly true.
The Gov’t should set a date, say 2028, for all buses and taxies in cities with more than 250,000 population to be hydrogen powered and that funds should be made available by government to pay for the refuelling infrastructure, which must be made available to the general public to purchase hydrogen. Any vehicle that runs on hydrogen can also use bus lanes, like taxies do!
Hydrogen as a fuel emits only water vapour when it burns, but hydrogen must be generated elsewhere by electrolysis of water (containing an electrolyte to enable the water to conduct electricity). Electrolysis uses a vast amount of electricity, so it will only be pollution-free if it is generated from renewable sources.
The big plc bus companies are always investing in new buses that are powered by euro 6 engines that are as clean as a diesel can be, electric is also now a great new option on some of the smaller bus routes.
This solution begs for a retro fit viable option.
This solution begs for a retro fit option.
You can say that again
“…further study put Oxford Street, London as the second highest level of nitrogen oxide pollution in Europe.”
Oxford Street?! Who drives their family 2l Diesel down Oxford Street?! It’s all trucks, vans, lorries… and ESPECIALLY buses. So, demonise the diesel car driver if you must, but if you are then juxtaposing that onto NOx pollution in Oxford Street, that’s disingenuous.
And as for teh more efficient Bosch FI system, “…manufacturers will have their production schedules in place for some time to come…”
OK, so they’d soon do something about that if vehicle sales simply stopped… “Time to replace the car. Hmmm… wonder if that new Bosch system is implemented yet? No? OK, I’ll wait another year then.”
There’s nothing like a disastrous plunge in sales to sharpen the attention of a manufacturer!!
When I change my diesel powered car, I intend to replace it with an existing low emission diesel. I believe government and local authority decisions are knee jerk reactions and are ignoring the impractability of electric powered vehicles. Which are in no way ready to replace fossil fuel vehicles
Well, that’s a sweeping statement. Firstly you assume a “low emission diesel” is more than a marketing term, and that just because there’s not an EV to suit your needs that there aren’t EVs that already suit other people’s needs.
Its amazing how quickly when the c**p hits the fan a new technology appears suddenly as if by magic.
I would suspect its been around for a while kept under wraps for a rainy day!
To little to late, they should be throwing their weight behind electric vehicles with range extending engines powered by LPG or some other really clean fuel. In the past on diesels, it has always been the bits that are designed to clean them up that has failed, and cost a fortune to repair/replace, why wont this be any difference?
This is to little to late, in the past it has always been this clean up emissions equipment that breaks costing a fortune to repair /replace! They would be better helping develop electric vehicles with range extender engines powered by really clean fuels like LPG
It’s a pity diesel is better than petrol. Its a biofuel
Normal diesel is not a biofuel. Biodiesel is produced but blended as s component of the product we use. Quality of biodiesel is not always reliable and there is a limit to production unless we cut down food production
I have always thought diesel research had more scope to persue. With the number of vehicles with dirty air cleaners, I wonder if more could be done to show this to the drivers by a warning on the dashboard.
Everything causes cancer these days that includes All fuels which are being used inefficiently ,Thet said that Monsodium Glutamate causes cancer if taken in large quantities well I have to say read the small print on your everyday shopping and you’ll find it in most things it’s a flavour enhancement so no doubt we’re over a long period of time taking it in large quantities..May as well put in our fuel!!
Why should I be penalised living in a small village, my car passes through the village in under a minute and there will, at the time, be fewer than 6 people on the pavement?
Why are we not using Bio Diesel or fuel made from Peanut Oil just as Roudolph Diesel had Designed the engine to run on
Not only is it cleaner but you would put all the waste oil from the catering industry to good use.
The main culprits are vans and lorries and buses our car is driven lightly and doesn’t emit
Stop blaming all cars only the bad drivers of cars are guilty the government needs to have a go at buses etc leave the poor car driver alone
S Brown that is just absolute rubbish. The minute you start your car up it is emitting fumes. It doesn’t matter how you drive if the engine is running it is emitting fumes.
I think you need to think before you message.
If this so called ‘Breakthrough’ diesel technology can be proved to be viable, that has to be good news. In spite of all of the various alternates such as hybrids, pure electric and even hydrogen fuel cell motive power, the internal combustion reciprocating engine remains presently to be the most practical and effective means of propulsion when all relevant factors, such as production cost, ‘full tank’ range, availability of refueling points and proven reliability, are taken into account.
As for retrofitting the new technology, that would surely have to make environmental common sense as that would negate the present obsession with complex scrappage schemes (which are being dubiously applied in some instances) and the wholesale destruction of perfectly sound motor vehicles still with may years of useful life left in them. Indeed, for many of us with nearly new, low mileage diesel cars and for whom a car change would serve no better purpose than that of a change for the sake of it, the idea of being able to upgrade to a new and ‘cleaner’ combustion technology would be welcomed with open arms. Furthermore, it would certainly seem to be environmentally superior to that of simply and sacrilegiously crushing otherwise perfectly sound vehicles with long life potential, albeit the makers of new cars would probably have to be dragged kicking and screaming to agree with that sentiment!
Notwithstanding that, though, whether such a ‘retrofit’ scheme would be welcomed by the Chancellor is a quite different issue. Can one begin to imagine the government accepting a demand for a recalculation of all of the emission/tax bands for vehicles which are to be retrofitted to lower emission standards, for surely that is what should be done for equability? The obvious solution would be for the Treasury to move away from the present and unimaginably over complicated motoring tax regimes to a simple scheme of building an all embracing tax into the fuel price. That way, the polluter pays in direct relationship to the mileage driven and class of vehicle chosen for use, with the added bonus of making us ‘think more’ about how often we need to use our cars. However, when the loss of revenue was calculated, the notion would more likely be strangles at birth than be approved by the Treasury.
No point, stop burning our limited fossil fuels and let’s ban all petrol/diesel engines today for the future of our planet. Greed is no excuse, force change. Just because your business sells something doesn’t mean it should continue to be legally allowed to continue doing do if it is consuming resources we can’t put back. Same with this mass industrial line breeding of animals to supply fast food chains which are fueling the heart disease, obesity & diabetes epidemic.. We don’t need fast food chains, exploitation of animals for this level of greed is unacceptable.
In the late 19th century, the city’s were full of stinking, noxious horse dung, and in London, they were scraping up over 100 ton a day. Do you want to turn back the clock and live with that again, because if you do, you are welcome to it. It is no good being a sandal wearing tree hugger if you don’t accept the reality of advancing technology. If we all live in mud huts, you would moan about the amount of wood smoke in the atmosphere. I am afraid big business is here and flourishing, and to stand in their way means you will be crushed underfoot. Not that I like that, but I have to accept it as a matter of life and there is nothing I can do. As my old granny used to say, thats life, get used to it.
Assuming you cycle and walk everywhere then!!
I would happily have my six year old VW Touran 2.0 diesel retro-fitted now and be a guinea pig!!
Don’ forget gas and oil boilers produce this gas as well. Some hotels have oil boilers
I believe I heard on the news a while back. That central heating boilers put out more gases than diesel. It was 16% for boilers and 11% for diesel vehicles. I’m not counting the lorries buses and taxis.
Interesting figure of Circa 12,000 deaths from a population of around 66 million attributable to Nox emissions. No comparable figures for smoking and passive smoking related deaths, nothing on alcohol related deaths? Car drivers squeezed out of existence while aircraft, commercial vehicles and electricity generators carry on as before? New diesel technology sounds great, but probably not for Volvo who announced the end of fossil fuel propulsion by 2025!!! Elon Musk, Mr arrogance himself, won’t be over the moon either.
Leeds Council has announced it wishes to charge diesel users a daily charge to visit an area within the boundary of the Ring Road, a smaller version of the M25 around London.
If they stated what this money would contribute towards, some maybe prepared to pay it, however they have been spending millions on a cycle pathway around major roads in the city and I actually was parked close to one for a few hours recently. 11 cyclists in 4 hours passed by, 2 were the same person. The surface of the cycle track was wonderfully smooth tarmac, the drivers on the main road alongside were constantly steering around potholes. (who pays road tax ! plus tax on fuel and 20% tax on servicing of their vehicles.
They have announced that they are to improve local bus routes in a joint program with the bus company, looks more like; we’ll get the car drivers to pay for the this.
Where’s the investment into Hydrogen fueled cars gone, are we only looking in one direction, electric cables all over the place. One major power cut in a specific area may mean thousands can’t get to work. Most council members are unlikely to be engineers, scientists, combustion engineers etc so how do they justify their responses from government information, who similarly are generally non technical people.
As to the Oxford street issues, Vicar lane a similar shopping area in Leeds, can be seen to have permanent buses waiting at stops and numerous taxi cabs awaiting passengers with engines running at idle speed?
You are missing the point. Why are you not using the cycle path, or walking? Very few people need to drive into a city centre. The solution is not cleaner cars, it’s better use of public transport and less dependence on cars. We have become addicted to cars as a society, and most don’t even consider other modes of transport. driving would become a lot more pleasant if people only did it when there is no better alternative.
You are missing the point as well, what happens if you are disabled and can not walk or cycle, they need to drive into the city centre, think first before you comment or are you one of them people who would like to see disabled people banned altogether?
Where can the public view the number of passengers on rural bus routes. I’m fed up with moving over to allow number 51 Swindon – Cirencester bus with only the driver on board.
Why not use it then?
Because he might be disabled and not be able to use the bus think before you comment, disabled people are real people as well
I use a trade additive every time I fill up and the emissions are lower than a petrol car. Ok so it’s and extra £10 but it’s worth it as I have spent a lot money on caring for my 2005 car which is in superb condition and I object to being villified because it is a diesel!
The number of deaths attributed to diesel and particles was a number pulled out of thin air and used by the “Green Radicals” to demonize diesel. People who died of respiratory problem were said to have died because of diesel,
Cigarettes have been almost killed off, alcohol is now in the later stages of life and when diesel is dead petrol will soon follow then when we only have solar and wind power there will not be enough electricity to charge electric cars up so!
I think I will keep my eyes open for a cheap horse, oops! METHANE!!!!!
My 3 year old diesel has just passed its first MOT with NO recorded emissions in any category, so where is the problem? Cleaner than most petrol cars I imagine and no need for a polluting power station to produce electricity for “Green” cars.
So many times I’ve seen the argument about “polluting power stations”. The fact is that OulRefineries use on average 4.5kwh of electricity to generate 1 gallon of fuel. Look at this if you want some facts https://youtu.be/BQpX-9OyEr4
Good news but I won’t be wanting to afford the proposed Bosch engine. I am willing to swap my current 15 year old Fiat 1.9 litre JTD with 156,000 on the clock, but as it is doing 60mpg in a rural area, I need some incentive. £2,000 off a new car in any scrappage scheme doesn’t really appeal…..
If this technology has not yet been presented to the Ministry of Transport, then I’d be surprised. The reality is that whilst Diesel continues to be a revenue earner for the Government (Punishing Taxes are imminent), then the technology will be ignored by the Minister of Transport.
Bevcoffee, The government has jumped into bed with the eco-warriors who in my mind will destroy this world if they carry on the way they are going. The politicians only too happy to drive around in gas guzzlers at the expense of the taxpayers, in affect shoving two fingers up at the rest of the country whilst making love with the eco-warriors. Just take a look at the sugar tax let alone the new Scottish tax on alcohol. I think that the government especially the Scottish government have shot themselves in the foot because there is an act called the mental capacity act which states that you are deemed to have capacity to make your own decisions Even if it’s an unwise decision and only have no capacity if it is deemed by a medical practitioner that you can not make a decision by yourself. Check it out on the government website or google it , Take a look at this website from the nhs
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support/mental-capacity/
this needs to be published widely gov hear about it and stop the push to rid the country diesel cars
Absolutely I would always buy a diesel either used or new. They are generally much more reliable and economical to run
They do.not need catalytic converters and are much better for larger commercial vehicles, so the research from Bosch is very welcome
Typical of the government to jump on the bandwagon with these eco-warriors who have no idea what they are doing. One minute, the government wants us all to drive diesels because it was better than petrol for the environment now, they want us all to go electric. They don’t realise that by going electric it means that you need more power stations which in turn means burning either gas or go nuclear. The argument for Windpower is flawed, they don’t produce the amounts of electricity now let alone when the government brings in all electric cars.
I like the idea that Bosch are doing which may save the diesel engines which I feel will still be around when the government brings in this ban on all fossil fuel cars.
I Believe that the biggest polluters in the world are the eco-warriors who in my mind will put us all into rack and ruin with the wacky ideas. They will destroy the world with their total dominance with their political agenda. Just like the sugar tax, will that save someone from being obese? Or is it another money grabbing device? Another jump on the bandwagon attempts by the government. So I ask, will electric save the planet? Somehow, I don’t think so.
Good for Bosch. The government makes crazy forecasts about emissions and especially about advances in electric vehicles. Whilst there is significant battery improvement they simply cannot replicate fluid fuel. It is interesting how politicians come up with some crazy ideas. In the same week they cancelled electric rail projects they said they would use diesel power on trains where there is no electric infrastructure. Do trains create less pollution than road vehicles? I think not. It is time politicians let the experts in scientific research do their job without changing the rules all the time
I would now consider buying a diesel engined car.
NoX emissions might be a long term health problem, but co poisoning is a short term problem. Co is a deadly poison which can kill in minutes. If Oxford Steet had petrol fumes instead of NoX then people would be dropping dead on the street. Log term health problems are preferable to short term deaths. Preferably neither, so we need to use cleaner fuels. What emissions would there be from hydrogen powered cars? Electrolysis from solar could produce hydrogen. But would the companies and government make enough to make it viable? Collecting all our sewagage into methane digesters would produce massive amounts of useable clean fuel, for cars and household use. Not enough profit for big companies and the government??
CO emissions are only relevant for people who want to commit suicide. Cars emit NOx and CO2.
Strange how I can take my diesel car into a workshop and get it remapped for fantastic power OR mpg or even a balance. I can have my car converted so it can use gas alongside diesel.
But I am told that there are no plans to retrofit the adBlue system.
We have a few new diesels at work, all with larger engines than my car, all using the additive and all with zero VED because the emissions are so fantastically low that you could almost sniff the exhaust all day long.
All well and good the government trying to get rid of diesel cars but for those of us who need a car to get to and from our minimum wage jobs, we cannot simply afford to go out and buy even a second hand car.
Yes, I could catch a few buses but that’s £5 per day – £100/month plus a 90 minute journey on a good day.
Against the £40/month fuel bill, 30 minute journey (I’m currently spending some time diverting around the many road works, the journey is normally 20 mins) and this includes giving a colleague a lift to & from work.
Once again diesel drivers point the finger of blame at the surveys not the engine. i drive a diesel car.
i prefer this car obviously for economic reasons however I do not ignore the simple fact that diesel
exhaust is dangerous. Therefore I will continue to maintain this car in top mechanical condition with
the newest pollution controlling devices in correct working order. If the government decides that diesel
engines cannot be tolerated further on our highways, it will be disappointing but not a disaster.
Replace busses,cabs and some public service vehicles with electric powered transit and allow us
everyday people to carry on saving money at the pump by keeping cleaner diesel motorised vehicles
until climate control concerns conquer our personal bank balance.
Perhaps you should check out Diesel Car magazine May issue , page 19 . On research by Loughborough University on a prototype ACCT system can capture 98per cent of NOx,compared with 60per cent for a Euro-6-compliant setup.
Using an AdBlue additive . I hope this can add to the discussion .
So I do about 30k miles per year for work, I drive a Volvo V40, diesel averaging about 62mpg, £0 VED. If I was to drive a petrol it would average 30/40mpg so I would need to buy more fuel in the year earning the gov more money on tax, VED would be more again earning more money for the gov on tax. Electric does not have the range that I need and the outlay of the vehicle is far too high as a company car, also employers will not pay the cost of home electric bills to charge the car but they will pay for fuel. Where do the gov think that the electric comes from!!! Diesel in my opinion still has its place for the right people, if somebody drives around town doing 10k py then it has not and will never be the best fuel anyway
What about AdBlu there has been no mention of the beneficial effect this had on particulate emissions in the media.
What about AdBlu there has been no mention of the beneficial effects in the media, why not?
What about the current use of Ad-Blue additive? Does this new system do away with the need for Ad-Blue to be used?
Some years ago, a study was carried out in Edinburgh city centre, which concluded that buses were easily the biggest single polluter. And, as others have mentioned, largely empty of passengers.
All vehicles regularly accessing central London and other cities should have an electric or low emission propulsion system. Managed by a congestion scheme. Then the pollution problems would be eradicated.
There should be a scrappage scheme for all older diesel vehicles, modern diesels are reasonably clean anyway, but if new technology improves it that is great.
Surely easy retrofitting should have been a project requirement from the get-go. There are millions of diesel car owners including myself who have seen the re-sale value of their vehicles drop to virtually zero and who have no resources to be able to replace it with an electric or hybrid – even if those alternatives were viable for us. In my case, a pure electric vehicle would be pretty well useless as regular charging where I live (in retirement flats) is impossible and the range of the vehicle does not meet my needs.
Nor can I see that by 2040 , the extra generation capacity required to run all the extra electric vehicles, will be available and on stream. There aren’t even PLANS to meet it! One nuclear power station won’t cut it, nor will a few more wind or solar farms. The Government have totally failed to ensure that all new housing built is even solar ready, let alone solar fitted as would be sensible.
I’m just waiting for a date closer when the Government will admit that the 2040 plan is simply pie in the sky
If this becomes as good as stated, who wouldn’t go fo more miles per £.
This approach only address the NoX element of diesel pollution. The other serious killer PM2.5 which blights UK towns and cities, has to be eliminated.
But the UK sale of piston cars stops by 2040, and likely earlier.
When the Government finally taxes the motorist of the road who or what will taxed to the hilt to obtain their revenue?
I have just brought a new diesel. Looking at the information comparing new diesel and petrol engines there appears to be little different in the amount they pollute. I now have very little faith in what the Goverment, manufacturers and environmentalists say. Why, because we have been lied too in the past. I now do not know who to believe. I would like to buy electric but as such at the moment they are not viable because of their limited range and lack of charging stations.
Do you do a lot of long journeys or have a very long commute, Paul? Or would it not be possible to charge at home (on a driveway or garage) overnight?