SebastianR
Active Member
In Germany news like this will hit like a bombshell: Porsche just announced they are not doing Diesels any longer.
Reaktion auf Abgasskandal: Porsche steigt bei Diesel aus - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Mobilität
Of course, many folks will rationalise this and say that a true Porsche should never have had a Diesel engine etc. But if cities start to outright ban Diesel cars and "real players" like Porsche nope out of the Diesel, I think the technology is done and dead. Even in Diesel countries like Germany.
Porsche internally, this seems to mark a huge mindset shift: in the past Porsche & every European car maker told their legislators that Diesels are required to meet CO2 emission targets - in fact, you could argue the very reason Porsche started to offer Diesel cars was to achieve fleet emission standards in their Cayennes... Porsche - not really famous for underperforming econoboxes - seems to be of the opinion that it is easier to meet emission targets with electrics than with Diesels. Environmental groups will use this admission to push for even tighter and even more stringent emission legislation...
Of course Diesel consumption is driven by buses, trucks etc. and not Porsches - but I think news like this might accelerate the demise of Diesel overall. There is not a sane public official in the world who would want their picture next to a new Diesel bus they just bought for their already polluted city!
