Is the diesel going to end up going the way of the dinosaur?

John & Angela wrote:

wilber1 wrote:
Dieselgate may be expensive for VW but it isn't killing its world wide sales.

VW, worlds #1 car maker

They have big plans for the Electric vehicle market but they are late to the game. They have some catching up to do. The demand is there but the manufacturing facilities take years to ramp up. They are looking at a dealerless business plan as well as there is very little follow up revenue in the electric vehicle world. I think all the manufacturers will have to do this. Tesla has it sort of figured out. They are only producing 80,000 cars a year right but are ramping up to 400,000 once the gigafactory is on line in a few years. VW will have to get at it fast. There will be no shortage of jobs for engineers in the next decade. Less laborers though. Times are a changing.

Not what it seems by VW. China is using more electrical vehicles, and Europeans want more Electrical Delivery vehicles, but small diesel sales are on the up. VW said the Golf Bluemotion which is a hybrid they are releasing in NA is not the same vehicle they are releasing globally. You guessed it , will have Diesel engines instead.

We will still offer small capacity diesel engines in the next Golf because they remain important in many markets, and because for customers who do high mileages they will remain the most economical

A bit more on that by VW explains the strategy better

"We will still offer small capacity diesel engines in the next Golf because they remain important in many markets, and because for customers who do high mileages they will remain the most economical choice," Diess explained. "But 48v allows you to recycle energy more efficiently than 12v and to use it to drive the car with an electric motor of about 10- or 12kW, at a much lower cost than you can with a full hybrid powertrain today. So for those who drive mostly in the city or only cover 6000- to 10,000 miles a year, the new mild hybrid solution should be better."

It would not make business sense for VW to combine such 48v mild hybrid technology with a modern small-capacity diesel engine, however - since doing so would result in a car too costly to appeal at the value end of the Golf model range. "Diesel hybrid is too expensive for this part of the market," Diess explained.

wilber1 wrote:
Dieselgate may be expensive for VW but it isn't killing its world wide sales.

VW, worlds #1 car maker

They have big plans for the Electric vehicle market but they are late to the game. They have some catching up to do. The demand is there but the manufacturing facilities take years to ramp up. They are looking at a dealerless business plan as well as there is very little follow up revenue in the electric vehicle world. I think all the manufacturers will have to do this. Tesla has it sort of figured out. They are only producing 80,000 cars a year right but are ramping up to 400,000 once the gigafactory is on line in a few years. VW will have to get at it fast. There will be no shortage of jobs for engineers in the next decade. Less laborers though. Times are a changing.

Dieselgate may be expensive for VW but it isn't killing its world wide sales.

VW, worlds #1 car maker

Would a guy want ta strap the Honda 2000 genny on one a them receiver racks for nearly endless touring range?

CKNSLS wrote:
My Son's business used the Mercedes diesel Sprinter vans. The maintenance and repair costs are very, very high. The entire fleet is in the process of being switched to gas as the vehicles age out.

Petrol Commercial Vans are non existent in Australia, wiped out a long time ago. Diesel or in the case of buses CNG or LPG dominate

My Son's business used the Mercedes diesel Sprinter vans. The maintenance and repair costs are very, very high. The entire fleet is in the process of being switched to gas as the vehicles age out.

NJRVer wrote:
In the past couple of years I have noticed that around my area almost all the new garbage trucks are run on natural gas. Only the old clunkers are still diesel.

It seems that many of the busses here in the Palm Springs area ate also NG and I'm not sure but I think some are hydrogen.

In the past couple of years I have noticed that around my area almost all the new garbage trucks are run on natural gas. Only the old clunkers are still diesel.

This whole thing is way overblown.

STANG23L wrote:
Well in fully HD trucks and commercial vehicles. I believe they will go the way trains have already gone. To a diesel/electric hybrid. That is till battery tech and charge infrastructure grows.

I would think you are right. And it will be a regional development. Main corridors before secondary routes etc. One corridor that has finally been funded for fast charge for personal vehicles is the corridor form LA to Vegas. I think the timeline is less than a year to completion consisting of 4 Chademo stations. I think the priority was getting I5 done from Canada to Mexico. Anyway, rumour has it that some thought to future heavy vehicle transport was considered in the planning. eg, longer vehicle and large current capacity power drops etc. We shall see. I would think that is a few years away but nice to know it was a consideration. In the short term it will be nice to have the charging station access for us EV drivers though. Right now the EV community kinda has to rely on campgrounds for good level two charging and there is no fast charge capability for us non Tesla owners. It will be nice when that is done next year.