9 May 2018
The drop off in diesel car sales continues unabated with the SMMT reporting a 32% fall in the year to date figures from 2017 to 2018, with analysts opining that the underlying trend is probably even worse with April 2017 a particularly poor month due to registrations being accelerated into Q1 last year. The wider market isn’t too great either, with the overall fall being around the 9% mark.
It’s difficult to think that this under performance is not explained by a backdrop of confusion and misinformation concerning Diesel engines, and whilst the industry can be accused of some self- harm through the VW scandal, it does seem that there is a complete lack of political will to restore some balance.
Even the risk of plant closures and job losses throughout the supply chain seems not to alter HM Government’s apparent indifference on this matter. It is left to local authorities to spread their version of the gospel but one wonders whether local authorities understand the wider context, or even if they would be motivated to act anyway.
I have a friend who is directly involved in the development of diesel engines at one of the world’s biggest car producers, and he firmly believes the diesel engines that are being put in cars now, and those they have in the pipeline, have a huge role to play in solving the fossil fuel problem over the medium term but sadly he and his peers have pretty much given up on trying to persuade the powers that be of this. It does seem that expert views have now become unfashionable in the UK.
Whilst it may be tempting to look into a future where AFVs dominate, we’re a long way from that now (just over 5% of new car registrations for the year to date were AFVs) and recent history suggests that creating an infrastructure that can make such dominance possible will be a long-drawn-out process. In the meantime, and with more industry head winds to come in the next couple of years, HM Government should set about helping consumers make an informed choice and, through fiscal policy, acknowledge the recent successes in diesel engine emissions.
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