Still the future of passenger diesel cars is dead and I would assume that to be true worldwide.
Not yet dead but dying very slowly!
In Europe, market share for diesel versus gasoline models has declined this year to 46% from 50% two years ago. Much of this decline can be blamed on the VW diesel deception saga. Some of the larger cities have banned diesels in certain areas and some have plans to ban them completely. Bans on all internal combustion engines are also being discussed.
One of the surprising effects of the reduction of diesel vehicles is that it presents a problem for overall air quality in Europe.
Gasoline engines produce substantially more CO
2 while the diesel produces the feared NOX but very low CO
2. Without diesels in the mix environmental targets will be difficult to meet. The Association of European Auto Constructors (ACEA) has asked for a delay from 2021 to 2030 in implementing the 20% reduction in CO
2 emissions presently mandated to meet climate change goals in Europe.
While the percentage of diesels sold has slipped below 50% in Europe as a whole, in Italy the anti-diesel wave has not hit. The percentage of market share here remains firm at 57%. As long as diesel fuel sells at a 10% discount to gasoline, the Italians will not give in.