Time To Phase Out Diesel Cars?

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26257703

[sunny-dave]

"I agree with New Judge".

Charge diesel users for all the costs of cleaning up the horrible crap that their antiquated, smoky, smelly, polluting vehicles produce

[Hopkirk]

What about the lungs of asthmatics, Sunny-Delight?

You can't clean the micro particles out of them.

I hate smelly oilburners.

[sunny-dave]

You could add a decent tax hike to diesel fuel and give the money to Asthma Relief/Research organisations etc

[Hopkirk]

Not funny

[New Judge]

This is the sort of thing I have in mind:

http://uk.ask.com/youtube?q=ancient+diesel+engines&v=rChKn4q94nI&qsrc=472

Cars are not the best vehicles to accommodate this type of power plant. You can see from this short clip the sort of problems that can be caused, not to mention the sort of pollution that the proposals seek to eradicate.

http://uk.ask.com/youtube?q=ancient+diesel+engines&v=rChKn4q94nI&qsrc=472

[New Judge]

Sorry, posted the same link twice. This is the one showing the problems:

http://bangshift.com/blog/danger-video-watch-an-ancient-stationary-diesel-run-away-on-fire-up-and-the-huge-guy-who-wrestles-it-back-to-idle.html

[FredPuli43]

Exactly NJ. It turns out you do remember the times when heavy, diesel, lorries had petrol engines to get them started ! :)

Funny, but I don't have the troubles, which you allude to, with my Skoda. Haven't driven a diesel BMW ,nor a diesel Jaguar, but I suspect they are the same. What I do have is a car with excellent acceleration and good fuel economy.

As to pollution, the Americans didn't have diesel cars because California had such strict rules on it that making the cars was seen as impractical and subject to adverse criticism. In New York City this week, I saw quite a number and they were being advertised on TV. So, even there, the cars, and their engines, are now accepted.

[New Judge]

Sorry, Fred, cannot believe what you say. Or have there been developments of which I'm not aware? :-)

[twix123]

Looking at the map of Europe's nitrogen dioxide emissions contained within the article, it would appear that the largest 'hotspot', together with most of the hot air, appears to come from Brussels ! Is the EU commission launching legal action against their masters, or are they sacrosanct?

[FredPuli43]

NJ the diesel engine fitted to Jaguars, other luxury brands, Fords, Skodas and the rest is as far removed from the diesel engines you talk of as the petrol engine in a 1908 Daimler is from the one in a VW Golf.. It's a question of research , and engineering to fit modern needs for a car; you won't get a London taxi that does 0-60 in a few seconds, nor run quietly, but both are achieved by the car diesel engines of today. You'd never sell a BMW or Skoda Octavia VRS TDi diesel otherwise; who'd buy it?

[New Judge]

Of course you're right, Fred.

I was trying to inject (another diesel pun) a little levity !!!!!