Anti-diesel hysteria - should I go for T8 instead?

[Duri13]

Germans have not only blocked some older diesel cars from driving through cities but now it is extended also to some highways. Even Euro 5 diesel has been affected by this. And I am afraid it will get only worse.

http://www.tellerreport.com/tech/dri...ryjwhP2am.html

I live in Luxembourg but Germany is right across the border and I drive there regularly. I am about to place an order for XC90 D5, which is Euro 6d and should be safe for some time, maybe even years but still. One never knows how crazy german government and green activists will get. And this can quickly spread to other parts of Europe. I plan to keep this car for 5-6 years. I could live without driving through some cities but banned highways would mean a serious complication for me. And another issue is that when I will be selling this car, it might be difficult since it won't be able to drive everywhere.

Now the question is whether to chicken out and go rather for petrol?
Why T8? In my typical day, driving kids to school and commute to work, I drive about 40km. It includes some highway but with 4 tunnels and then regular traffic jams so I usually do not drive fast there and I think I could cover almost the whole day just with an electricity. Overnight I can charge in my garage. So if petrol, T8 is my natural choice because T6 does not make a financial sense to me. I drive about 30.000km/year and only on petrol T8 pays off in 2 years. So big part of my drivings I could do cheap. Plus enjoying 400hp
Why D5? But then few times a year I make long trips across Europe and it adds up to maybe 10-15k/year. There I would run out of batteries already on Luxembourg border and then drive another 1000km only on petrol. And I could run into similar problems when trying to sell my T8 car in 6y that batteries will need to be replaced soon, which is probably expensive.

Important to know is that T8 is 7000EUR more expensive than D5. I know I will never get this money back, not on fuel. So I would pay this extra just for more power and for being green (which I do not care much regarding hybrid cars because even the electricity has to be produced somewhere...as long as I can drive wherever I want).

[Haldex]

You’re exactly where I was about a year ago or so In the end - I opted for a D5. Realistically- diesels cannot be phased out- not in our lifetime anyways, and not by limited-range electric vehicles/PHEVs which require hours to recharge. All commercial vehicles are diesels and we depend on those. Hybrids, in this sense (30kms electric and petrol for the rest of the way..) simply don’t work for long-range driving outside city limits. I need good mpg on long extra urban trips (probably 90% of the total mileage I do annualy..), low end torque and propper AWD (as oppose to the fake 70hp-powered ERAD..). Charger network outside large cities in EU is next to nonexistent, electric range is minuscule due to limitations of current battery technology, charging takes hours, etc, etc. CO2 emissions of PHEVs are usually much higher than comparable diesels, battery materials are toxic and impossible to dispose of in a safe way, plus electric power mostly comes from dirty, non-renewable sources (nuclear, thermo,..) so even the environmental arguments don’t quite stick..

Ofcourse- to each his own.

[Crockers]

Then ask yourself the question.....would you buy a used 5 year old hybrid with little or no warranty on the batteries?'

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Crockers

Then ask yourself the question.....would you buy a used 5 year old hybrid with little or no warranty on the batteries?'

If the price was right , the battery would still have 3 years warranty left , the battery doesn't suddenly fail , the range just drops every year .. and by the time it needed one there will be reconditioning centres around to refurbish them At a "reasonable" price ,possibly with superior cells . Volvo already have one reconditioning centre ..

[Hartlepool Mariner]

I have the D5 as I can get the best part of 600 miles (960km) between fuel stops which takes about 5 minutes at my local supermarket.

I drive up to 900 miles (1440km) a week, with about 5 miles of this in towns. I frequently stop at hotels with virtually no chance of charging overnight.

With the T8, I would be filling up every other day and carrying several hundred kg of potentially dangerous batteries around for virtually no benefit. I would be paying about £200 a month extra for this dubious pleasure.

If Volvo move away from diesel, this will be my first and last Volvo.

[MaDProFF]

Originally Posted by Hartlepool Mariner

I have the D5 as I can get the best part of 600 miles (960km) between fuel stops which takes about 5 minutes at my local supermarket.

I drive up to 900 miles (1440km) a week, with about 5 miles of this in towns. I frequently stop at hotels with virtually no chance of charging overnight.

With the T8, I would be filling up every other day and carrying several hundred kg of potentially dangerous batteries around for virtually no benefit. I would be paying about £200 a month extra for this dubious pleasure.

If Volvo move away from diesel, this will be my first and last Volvo.

Volvo are already not making D versions of some of their new models coming out, so Good Bye

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Hartlepool Mariner

I have the D5 as I can get the best part of 600 miles (960km) between fuel stops which takes about 5 minutes at my local supermarket.

I drive up to 900 miles (1440km) a week, with about 5 miles of this in towns. I frequently stop at hotels with virtually no chance of charging overnight.

With the T8, I would be filling up every other day and carrying several hundred kg of potentially dangerous batteries around for virtually no benefit. I would be paying about £200 a month extra for this dubious pleasure.

If Volvo move away from diesel, this will be my first and last Volvo.

The diesel with be with us for the foreseeable future, however , volvo will be supplementing it with and an electric motor and a battery from next year . so it is bound to improve economy .

[AB-UK]

I think it will be only petrol supplemented by electric and batteries.
Volvo have stated they will discontinue diesel power.
One of several articles to this effect :-

https://fleetworld.co.uk/volvo-to-ph...sel-from-2019/

[Haldex]

MaDProFF, when I said commercial vehicles I meant in general- not pizza delivery cars/vans.. Trucks/lorries, busses, etc- are all diesels and will remain diesels- at least for as lomg as you and I live.. And this is actually where 95% soot/NOx comes from.

To be fair to T8-powered cars- they are SERIOUSLY fun cars to drive! The relativelly high extra urban consumption should be considered in terms of the V8-like performance they offer. So for those looking for a seriously fast luxury SUV with reasonable consumption- I think T8 is the only way to go.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by Hartlepool Mariner

I have the D5 as I can get the best part of 600 miles (960km) between fuel stops which takes about 5 minutes at my local supermarket.

I drive up to 900 miles (1440km) a week, with about 5 miles of this in towns. I frequently stop at hotels with virtually no chance of charging overnight.

With the T8, I would be filling up every other day and carrying several hundred kg of potentially dangerous batteries around for virtually no benefit. I would be paying about £200 a month extra for this dubious pleasure.

If Volvo move away from diesel, this will be my first and last Volvo.

Yes, I would take the same view. I’ve already had my last Honda CR-V it seems. Their loss could be Volvo’s or Land Rover’s gain, or anyone who still makes a diesel or diesel hybrid that has a refill range of 600 miles and a fuel consumption of around 40+mpg. No skin off my nose if it isn’t a Volvo or Honda.
One day I hope that an all-electric car will have 500+ miles of range without being completely autonomous or ridiculously expensive to buy. For a second car I think Hyundai are already there with the Ionic which has a 200 mile range with a good safety margin.