VW Group Diesel Purge...

[GMAN75]

It continues at the premium end...

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-bri ... rope/38866

Looks like VW is running from diesel for its premium brands.

[ScotMac]

I was just about to buy one too

[Col M]

Cart before the horse?
"following dwindling demand for the oil burning versions of the Macan and Panamera. British sales figures for 2018 show that diesel now makes up less than a third of the new car market here" ...err they weren't even available for a third of 2018.

[Semerka]

Funnily enough, ASDAC, the German equivalent of our RAC / AA, run their own tests and concluded that the diesel cars classed as Euro 6, 6b, 6c and 6d TEMP are extremely clean. Out of the older emission norm Euro 5 classed cars, the cleanest was VW Golf VII 1.6 TDI. I think these tests were for NOx.

Almost 85% reduction NOx in Euro 6's over Euro5.

[Paul]

...also the new Skoda Kodiaq vRS just launched is Diesel only....250 ish bhp and “ the fastest 7 seater around the Nurburgring!”

The new Octavia will be launched with diesel engines so VW group as a whole see a dirty black future (albeit medium term)

[nsm3]

".....following decreasing demand for the diesel Macan....."?

If you remove the best selling version from the model line up, a decrease in demand must surely follow, no?

Like reading any other political propaganda. The agenda is set and we will all comply, but don't worry, the rest of the World will just carry on regardless.

[Paul]

^^^
Self-fulfilling prophecy....

[Deleted User 1874]

Why would anyone buy a diesel Bentyaga in the first place? As the article says, it's a £200k car so why would you compromise on the engine? The only reason might be a perceived sense of being a little bit greener and frugal, but that cherry has now well and truly been taken away! One thing is for certain, if it was selling like hot cakes and there were no issues with meeting emissions regulations then VAG would still be selling it. The very fact that they've dropped it either means it wasn't selling or the engine was not capable of meeting near future regulations. The era of luxury diesels is coming to an abrupt end, but will probably soldier on in the mainstream market for another decade or more. Once these wealthy old farts get a taste of EV torque delivery they won't look back and these are the sort of buyers who will have no problem installing home chargers!

[GMAN75]

Why would anyone buy a diesel Bentyaga in the first place? As the article says, it's a £200k car so why would you compromise on the engine? The only reason might be a perceived sense of being a little bit greener and frugal, but that cherry has now well and truly been taken away! One thing is for certain, if it was selling like hot cakes and there were no issues with meeting emissions regulations then VAG would still be selling it. The very fact that they've dropped it either means it wasn't selling or the engine was not capable of meeting near future regulations. The era of luxury diesels is coming to an abrupt end, but will probably soldier on in the mainstream market for another decade or more. Once these wealthy old farts get a taste of EV torque delivery they won't look back and these are the sort of buyers who will have no problem installing home chargers!

Perhaps. As to the home chargers issue, it's not what sort of infrastructure you may be able to install at home that should support your decision on EVs but how your EV can be sustained outside your home in real world driving. People move house too!

I get you have tested them and you have a Tesla which you covet and the rest of it but infrastructure requirements are barely there for EVs. This is fact and despite however much you are in love with their torque delivery, their perceived environmental benefits or whatever. The fact remains that the UK infrastructure to support their usage is in its infancy and the vast majority of people are not early adopters of tech. They will wait. Whilst diesel has been demonised, it is still the preferred fuel for long haulers and distance travellers. EV has a long, long, long way to go to prove that.

[Deleted User 1874]

Why would anyone buy a diesel Bentyaga in the first place? As the article says, it's a £200k car so why would you compromise on the engine? The only reason might be a perceived sense of being a little bit greener and frugal, but that cherry has now well and truly been taken away! One thing is for certain, if it was selling like hot cakes and there were no issues with meeting emissions regulations then VAG would still be selling it. The very fact that they've dropped it either means it wasn't selling or the engine was not capable of meeting near future regulations. The era of luxury diesels is coming to an abrupt end, but will probably soldier on in the mainstream market for another decade or more. Once these wealthy old farts get a taste of EV torque delivery they won't look back and these are the sort of buyers who will have no problem installing home chargers!

Perhaps. As to the home chargers issue, it's not what sort of infrastructure you may be able to install at home that should support your decision on EVs but how your EV can be sustained outside your home in real world driving. People move house too!

I get you have tested them and you have a Tesla which you covet and the rest of it but infrastructure requirements are barely there for EVs. This is fact and despite however much you are in love with their torque delivery, their perceived environmental benefits or whatever. The fact remains that the UK infrastructure to support their usage is in its infancy and the vast majority of people are not early adopters of tech. They will wait. Whilst diesel has been demonised, it is still the preferred fuel for long haulers and distance travellers. EV has a long, long, long way to go to prove that.

Installing a home charger is a half-day £400 job, so moving house is really a non-issue for anyone buying a Tesla or any other expensive EV. You basically just need a private driveway or garage, which most people in this market sector would have.

I don't disagree about the on-road charging infrastructure and this is still one of Tesla's big advantages today. Long haul driving in a Tesla is a very relaxing experience. It wouldn't be the same hunting out unreliable public chargers and juggling with multiple payment cards and Apps etc as iPace drivers will shortly be learning. But it will improve as the demand grows and the infrastructure grows with it.

I also agree that diesel is still the preferred choice of fuel for mass-market long distance travellers, but here we are discussing a £200K Bentley and I would say petrol is now firmly the preferred choice for that market, who are probably now wondering why they even considered a diesel in the first place? Petrol hybrids will be the choice of those who have even the slightest concern about city pollution and of course full BEVs for those who can live with the restricted range. So we can expect a slew of upper end EVs hitting the market over the next 5 years to serve this growing market. Tesla have proven that EVs can work in that market, which was previously considered uncharted territory by the industry. It's the mid market that is actually harder to crack with EVs where the Tdi still firmly rules roost for now.