The Volkswagen group (VW cars, Audi, SEAT and Skoda) will continue to suffer the worst repercussions of its diesel emissions test-rigging which was recently exposed by North America, however in a few months we will see other car brands that rely heavily on small diesel powered car sales to stay aloft being affected. Why?
Well, to start, the impressive fuel-economy that small diesel engines sip has been a major selling point for many other car European brands and they have worked hard in meeting ever-tougher carbon emissions rules which Volkswagen also had to do. The average CO2 limit for European carmakers’ will fall from 130 grams per km to 95 grams in 2021 which is a goal carmakers say cannot be met if diesel sales fall significantly as they need higher volumes to meet rising technology costs.
The industry now faces a hefty burden to quickly develop alternative powertrains as European hybrids work with diesel engines. For The Japanese car manufacturers, their hybrids work with petrol engines and they have a major lead in this area. Toyota and Honda hybrids have been taking a backseat in North American sales to European diesel engines. Now the tide will probably change and American green/eco car buyers will look to Japan for automotive inspiration.
