Diesel Scrappage scheme being advocated...

[xsaab]

No sooner had I come to terms with moving over to an oil burner than I see headlines saying that the diesel exhaust is dirty, dangerous and life limiting.

Some scientists are advocating that the EU /Government should introduce a diesel scrappage scheme to encourage drivers to move away from diesel cars and also introduce taxation rates that discourage the use of diesels.

So time for a massive change of the business tax charges etc.

[volvorocks]

That would be bad news, as some cars are virtually only available in diesel.

Regards

[Craigy]

This won't happen I don't think, there needs to be a balance between petrol and diesel useage to get the most from fossil fuels.
This isn't exactly new, everyone's known for a long time that diesel fumes are more damaging than petrol but the government has been on the "CO2 reduction" idea for such a long time and diesels just happen to be very good at this.

The government have just effectively reduced the company car tax on diesel compared to petrol (next year I think) and this sends a clear message to people that diesel is the fuel of choice for high mileage drivers. Electric is of course what they're trying to push but this is even worse in real terms, the lies about the MPG of petrol hybrids is ludicrous. The amount of fossil fuels required to power a vehicle after you consider the losses in the national grid are insane, but yet "localised environmental impact" is all that seems to matter (as long as londons air gets better).

I personally would be quite angry if the government do a U-turn on company car tax. I like many others, have signed up to the costs related to my vehicle for the next 3/4 years, expecting that HMRC will keep the prices as they have advertised for this period. I would guess that the leasing companies would have something to say if their largely diesel fleets were rendered worthless (or in the least worth less) if the government suddenly changed their entire outlook on diesel cars.

There simply isn't a eco-friendly way (yet) to have personal vehicles that aren't extremely bad for the environment, but I certainly am not prepared to give up private transport. I guess I'm just selfish, but aren't we all.

I realise that I've ranted a bit......

[inego]

Is this in relation to the French comments last week?

The reporting seemed to be pretty poor, but I got the impression it was effectively a "cash for clunkers" proposal to get older, higher polluting diesels off the road.

I have some concerns about PM2.5, and moving fleets to Euro6 as soon as possible can't be a bad thing.

[xsaab]

It was related to an article in The Times - which is behind a paywall and a big story on the BBC website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30349398

[kylegordon]

What gets me is that the French are all being ****y about NO2 output being higher from Diesels. The very same gas that the catalytic converter in petrols will get rid of.

Typical kneejerk reaction from scumbag politicians and bureaucrats.

Science will happen, and they'll make catalytic converters for Diesels.

[Harvey1512]

My understanding is that this relates to getting older diesels off the road. Newer ones with cleaner technology are being encouraged. I may have read the info incorrectly but that was my understanding.

[GMcL]

It might be aimed at getting older diesels off the road but that doesn't the BBC publishing "Nitrogen dioxide is a by-product of diesel engines" when petrol engines do too.

Take a look at the Euro VI emissions, diesel NOx is at the level Euro IV was for petrol engines (0.08 vs 0.06). CO emissions at Euro VI is double in a petrol engine that of a diesel and PM is 0.005 for both petrol* and diesel.

*Direct injection

Where are the particle filters for petrol? Are they there we just don't know it yet?

[John_C]

Petrol particulate filters are coming.

NOx is a big target for the next generation of emissions regs - Euro 6 cars (from September this year) can only put out less than half the NOx of Euro 5 cars.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by GMcL

It might be aimed at getting older diesels off the road but that doesn't the BBC publishing "Nitrogen dioxide is a by-product of diesel engines" when petrol engines do too.

Take a look at the Euro VI emissions, diesel NOx is at the level Euro IV was for petrol engines (0.08 vs 0.06). CO emissions at Euro VI is double in a petrol engine that of a diesel and PM is 0.005 for both petrol* and diesel.

*Direct injection

Where are the particle filters for petrol? Are they there we just don't know it yet?

At the end of the day the BBC want to read it the statement itself for diesels is correct it never mentioned petrols but I agree it should.

Euro IV is getting old in comparison with Euro VI, you should base like with like Euro VI v Euro VI.

In relation to petrols with filters end of the day if they meet the Euro VI standards without then they are meeting it without one - I don't deny for future standards they probably will, diesel would never come close without a filter hence Euro V.