Why pick on diesel?

[raleighnut]

yeah but that probably doesn't apply to Gauloises or Rhyl.

Aaahh Gauloises, the distinctive aroma of 'Merde'.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

The problem with cities is all those backward nobbers commuting in from the country, making us breathe in their filth.

Around these backward nobber parts it's them fancy London types coming up in their ozone depleting Q7's and Range Rovers making us breath their filth and masking the natural odour of cow shite that's the problem.

 

[John the Monkey]

Get one of these, over 100mpg and transport the entire family in comfort (even the dog.)

That is a worried looking dog.

 

[raleighnut]

That is a worried looking dog.

I thought he looked quite happy,


View: https://youtu.be/Fws1XkcTHys

 

[Crackle]

I never saw the 2nd dog. That's gonna play havoc with my youtube recommendations now.

 

[raleighnut]

I never saw the 2nd dog. That's gonna play havoc with my youtube recommendations now.

I can't see the 2nd dog, one can only assume it is in the opposite pannier to keep the weight 'balanced'

 

[Electric_Andy]

go for a modal shift in transport.

Whole-heartedly agree. Make it easier and cheaper for a single traveller to leave the car at home, and congestion/pollution is reduced. No-one gets discriminated against because of what they drive, no-one pays extra fees, more people feel liberated rather than penalised.

 

[User482]

Fine but until we find a pollution free way of individual transport, we are stuck with what we have. Electric cars are coming on but not quite good enough yet. I still maintain than petrol and diesel cars today are much cleaner than in the past.

I see we're back to "can't do everything so let's do nothing".

Modern diesels are worse for local air quality than older petrol cars. And people are buying a lot more diesel cars these days.

 

[John the Monkey]

I thought he looked quite happy,


View: https://youtu.be/Fws1XkcTHys

Looks like weary resignation to me ("I guess the humans know what they're doing..?")

 

[snorri]

Looks like weary resignation to me ("I guess the humans know what they're doing..?")

I haven't seen such a happy bunch of travellers for a long time.

 

[Piemaster]

I've owned several diesel cars - in fact I owned an example of the first mass produced car with a common rail diesel way back in 2002, when 224 lb-ft of torque was exceptional, and to have that and 41mpg on the commute was mind-blowing. I loved that car, and although the subsequent diesels weren't as powerful or smooth, I absolutely appreciate that a diesel engine is lovely to drive. The Alfa (the first one) once whisked me from Manchester to Glasgow airport in a little under 3 hours and barely went above 3000 rpm. Their 'barely turning over' power delivery and the fact that all the torque is there basically from idle to a reasonble rev limit makes them perfect for barelling up and down the motorway. I do like a diesel.

Thats something I don't think many realise - Alfa made the first common rail diesels. Then subsequently sold the system to Bosch.
The family car is petrol - I wouldn't have anything else now especially as buying used cars the DPF longevity concerns me, wifes car is an petrol auto for short city journeys, relatively quick to get to proper running temperature. The work pickup is diesel, but then it does chug along doing a lot of miles. Both work well for their usage.

 

[HLaB]

Manchester and Liverpool city councils are thinking of introducing a tax on diesel cars, why diesel?
A diesel car goes twice as far as a petrol car for the same amount of fuel so more economical. I also believe that a modern diesel engine, well set and maintained is no more polluting than a petrol car.
Isn't it strange than 20 years ago and more, diesels were all the rage, especially on the Continent. I think it is an attack on diesels just for profiteering as an easy target. I, for one, will keep my diesel car and change it to another diesel when the time comes as I like being able to do 70 mpg. A diesel engine will also outlast any petrol engine too.

I'm sure its probably been said a few times in the 9 pages before this but they've found out that diesel particulates are immediately harmful to people's health :-(

 

[Stephenite]

Oslo city council have been considering a total ban on diesel vehicles. It wouldn't surprise me if they start doing it this winter.

I have a 2006 model diesel Passat. A very good car. It's depreciating a lot quicker now, but there you go.

I wish they had a diesel - Tesla trade-in deal

 

[Stephenite]

Electric cars are very common in greater Oslo (and not an unusual sight in the country). They are so common their special privileges, such as getting to drive in the bus lane, are about to be rescinded.

 

[DanZac]

Surely half the point here is the stupidty of what and how we drive. Go back a few years and commercial vehicles and company reps ( big mileage users) had diesel engine vehicles, used where they were at their most efficant on long runs. Whilst everyone else used petol.

Now the manufacturers and goverments have convinced every man and their dog to buy diesel, but its not that efficant (and is therfore adding extra pollution) for driving half a mile to school in your 4×4 to drop the kids off, a nice small petrol engined car would be far more efficant for that journey. Every diesel ive owned has taken 10 minutes to get up to its correct operating temperature so using it to do the shopping is never going to be efficant.

So maybe the solution is as much about convincing joe public to buy the right type and size of vehicles for the expected use as it is to impose a blanket ban on diesel engined vehicles. Do you really need a 4×4 or people carrier to take johnny to school in chelsea? if you go to many scandanavian countries where they have attrocious winter conditions everyone drives nice sensible estate cars, not massive thirsty 4×4s, so do we need them?

As an aside Ive had a few diesels but average 20000 plus motoway miles a year, if however i changed jobs (lower town mileage) it would be the first thing to go as it wouldnt be economical for that sort use.