VW should continue diesel engines

[Pbrowne]

There are news reports that VW will stop building diesel engine cars in the future. IMHO, that's not good especially since a minor tweek to increase urea injection is all that's needed on the 3rd gen 2.0 diesels.

There's enormous complexity with hybrid cars -- just try to figure out a Prius transmission. The additional electric controls are a potential problem. All-electric cars are worse. Strained, insufficient power grids may overload. Not to mention the long charging times an limited range.

Then, consider those large lithium batteries. How will they be disposed of? Some may be recycled but how many? Lithium is a dangerous pollutant.

There are some safety concern with the high amperage system in crashes, especially for emergency responders.

Diesel engines are an elegantly simple solution and VW is so very closed to making them fully emission compliant. To give up now would be a mistake.

Yes, VW certainly did it's best to give diesel engines a bad rap. But, delivering the same mileage as a dinky, dorky Prius in a much simpler package should not be abandoned.

BTW, my other car is a 2015 Jetta TDI.

 

[Mark V1]

So what about petrol cars?

 

[Hammo72]

If that is the case I will be holding on to my GTD a very long time, a mix of Performance and Economy that no other manfacturers match.

 

[veedubfreak]

Diesels were pretty much done for after the new regs in 06, which is why VW had to fudge the numbers. This latest thing is pretty much the nail in the coffin that is small diesels.

 

[Finglonga]

They will not stop making them for years. Hybrids are not he future nor full electric cars, hydrogen is the future as the only emission is water. The only thing holding it back is producing it at a cheap price. Even then, the tax paid on fuel world wide is a huge money maker and diesel and petrol is plentiful.

 

[veedubfreak]

They will not stop making them for years. Hybrids are not he future nor full electric cars, hydrogen is the future as the only emission is water. The only thing holding it back is producing it at a cheap price. Even then, the tax paid on fuel world wide is a huge money maker and diesel and petrol is plentiful.

And distribution sources.

 

[simonsez]

I think we're living in the last couple generations of petroleum-reliant cars. I wouldn't be surprised if my 2016 GTI is the last gasoline-burning car I own. I hope an electric GTI is in VW's future (in the USA). I have a feeling Tesla's next more-affordable model will bring on a big shift in vehicle technology and cultural change.

 

[ColinStone]

I reckon VW will drop small diesels, certainly 1.6 ltr and possibly 2 ltr, as the emissions controls are just too expensive on a small cars for profit.
Polo Bluemotion is now a petrol, as opposed to BMT, and Golf has a petrol Bluemotion.

 

[Hobby55]

Where are these reports mentioned by the OP? Never seen one myself... Probably originating from the old Top Gear presenters who would do anything to get rid of diesel...

Maybe for cars both forms of ic engines will be on their way out, though there's always Hydrogen power if they can sort out a cheap way of making the stuff... But for other use such as ship engines, emergency generators, large truck engines, etc., then diesel beats petrol hands down...

Hybrids? I am surprised that they are not as efficient as they are, maybe they'll sort that out in due course...

 

[xPETEZx]

They will not stop making them for years. Hybrids are not he future nor full electric cars, hydrogen is the future as the only emission is water. The only thing holding it back is producing it at a cheap price. Even then, the tax paid on fuel world wide is a huge money maker and diesel and petrol is plentiful.

And the fact that as an energy storage method hydrogen is crap.
It's dangerous for a start. A highly flammable, oderless gas which needs to be stored at high compression in order to carry a useful amount of it.
It's only waste also isn't water.
It's energy intensive to separate from water. Usually that isn't from a clean source.

Pure electric has a much better chance than hydrogen.

 

[GOLF NUTT]

At this point looks like the better way forward will be the TSI gasoline engines. I'm getting near 40 MPG US with my 1.8T without really trying.
VW must get the present problems behind them. Including the TSI cam issue here in
North America.

Electric is going to be the future, also gas/electric for the short term.

 

[dr_mat]

They may stop bothering attempting to sell diesels to the US market, for sure (pretty much a hiding to nothing, so far), but stop making them totally? No way, they sell MILLIONS in the rest of the world.
Electric is definitely the future, and if it comes from nuclear or other renewable energies then the world will become a much better place.

 

[jeffkro]

I think we're living in the last couple generations of petroleum-reliant cars. I wouldn't be surprised if my 2016 GTI is the last gasoline-burning car I own. I hope an electric GTI is in VW's future (in the USA). I have a feeling Tesla's next more-affordable model will bring on a big shift in vehicle technology and cultural change.

VW already makes an electric Golf.

 

[xPETEZx]

They also make the GTE.
If it had 4wd (electric motor to the back?) and was a bit faster and had more pure electric range (I can dream can't I? Maybe the next one b will!) I'd have considered it instead of the R.
But it's the perfect bridge car between electric and petrol. Not ready for full electric just yet. But like the idea of an electric only commute.

 

[Hobby55]

But like the idea of an electric only commute.

And me! There lies the problem, though, I'd have to have two cars, one for the commute and one for other use (about half of my 15K pa). An electric car with a range of around 450 miles capable of fast charging and a heck of a lot more charging points than there are at the moment would work, though!