Stick a fork in diesel, it’s nearly done

Europeans can't get away from diesels fast enough. Meanwhile some stupid American companies, like Chevy, are adding diesel power to some of their lines. Cough, Cough, how dumb can you get after the VW USA diesel debacle?

With electrification becoming increasingly normal and regulators–in Europe at least, we don't seem to give a shit in America anymore–continuing to tighten clean air laws, we probably would have eventually seen an end to diesel engines in cars. But then Volkswagen went and fired, with great enthusiasm, a giant nail gun into diesel's coffin.

We will now probably see an end to diesel sooner than would have happened otherwise, and that is something the European Union industry chief confirmed at a Parliament meeting this week. Tougher rules there are coming on how the Europeans test and certify diesel, as well as harsher fines. This is probably the beginning of the end, reports Reuters:

Diesel car and truck owners are slowing killing the poor slobs who have to suck their fumes behind them. Diesel produces 15% to 20% LESS CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) compared to petrol but they also produce 3 to 4 times MORE NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide) and 20 to 22 times MORE particulates that penetrate human body especially lungs.

The new measures will eventually take diesel cars off the roads, European Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said.

“Diesel will not disappear from one day to another," Bienkowska told EU lawmakers on Tuesday. “But after this year of work … I am quite sure they will disappear much faster than we can imagine."

Under the draft law, car makers would no longer directly pay testing agency – in a bid to break their cozy relationships. EU nations now have to fund car exhaust testing centers – although they may levy fees from car makers to do so.

Brussels would get powers to carry out vehicle spot-checks and levy fines, while national authorities would be able to peer-review each other's decisions.