Dirty Diesels - the fallacy of a CO2 based tax

O

original guvnor

Elite
 Nottinghamshire
Interesting article in the Times newspaper yesterday.

In a detailed study conducted by the International Council on Clean Transport, a not-for-profit research organisation, only 1 of 15 diesel cars tested met the Euro 6 limit of 80mg/km of NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) and the worst produced 2,000mg/km.

The study confirmed what a lot us already believe - that diesel cars are responsible for a lot of pollution and cause thousands of deaths and trigger asthma attacks. It exposed the official emissions tests as useless.

Much of the research was carried out here in the UK and for example, the Mercedes C200 and Citroen Cactus C4 both produced more than 3 times the NOx levels.

Unlike the official test, which is carried out in a laboratory, the researchers tested cars on the road, mimicking real world driving so they included rapid bursts of acceleration and much longer periods of driving at more than 60mph (to simulate motorway driving). They found the breaches were recorded in normal, not extreme driving.

In my opinion it's high time diesel cars/commercial vehicles were punished more punitively with tax (either significantly increasing fuel duty or increasing their VED) so that the fallacy of the current CO2 regime stops being filling the roads with these dirty polluters.
 
Couldn't agree more, the government need to do something about this, as its only going to get worse I can never understand people removing DPF's as well as they are installed for a reason.
 
Surely the Government needs to take some responsibility for pushing us towards these vehicles in the first place. I was always a petrol man but driving a company car forced me down the diesel route as I was led to believe it was better for the environment, I would pay less tax and it would also be more efficient for my business with better MPG.

Suddenly we are all bad people for choosing these machines.

As someone with quite severe Asthma, I am not overly chuffed to find out the truth.

H.
 
Agree that diesel's are not green, but thinking that the Governments taxation policy is based on trying to lower pollution levels is so far from the truth that it's just politics. However, legislation and the cost of fuel has pushed manufacturers to improve the efficiency of the ICE which can only be a good thing.

Another interesting article last week detailed the mpg figures were more inaccurate in small engines than larger ones, below 1 litre the official mpg figures were up to 40% out
 
hopz121 said:
Couldn't agree more, the government need to do something about this, as its only going to get worse I can never understand people removing DPF's as well as they are installed for a reason.
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The DPF sole purpose is to make the cars emission's lower therefore gain a lower tax bracket therefore appeal to more buyers therefore sell more units :oops: its business :wink: they aint there for the good of us mate & they serve only to restrict the cars performance & cost a bomb to sort when they inevitably clog up :cry: id have no hesitation deleting if it became faulty
 
Havard said:
Surely the Government needs to take some responsibility for pushing us towards these vehicles in the first place. I was always a petrol man but driving a company car forced me down the diesel route as I was led to believe it was better for the environment, I would pay less tax and it would also be more efficient for my business with better MPG.

Suddenly we are all bad people for choosing these machines.
H.
Click to expand...



Agree with This :headbang:
 
and peeps don't buy diesels because they are green, if it's a private purchase they do it to use less fuel and if it's a company car then it's either less tax or company policy.

I bought a diesel not just because I do 20,000 miles a year, but also my car weighs best part of two tonnes and the equivalent petrol was no quicker, more expensive and used 15% more fuel.
 
I agree it is definitely not the consumers fault. It's the fault of government and the EU in particular and their far too cosy relationship with the "big three" german manufacturers.

The message should be simple - let's have a proper test of a cars emissions not some BS lab test and then secondly to the manufacturers - either get your house in order or we will tax diesels so heavily nobody will buy them.
 
Good point about dirty diesels, what irks me even more is the fact I pay £80 to tax each of my clean running motorbikes that are also light in weight & don't damage the roads, lots of diesels are £30 or even free to tax for a year-it's not even the amount, it's the principle :x
Regards
 
Have you ever noticed the smell of a diesel car, even from the last types of engine/exhaust with catalysts? It surely never smell less dangerous than petrol emissions.
When I lived downtown in a narrow street, accelerating diesel cars where a nightmare, they were litterally blocking your lungs.
France is one of the worst place to be with regards to that, since our governement decided to support diesel by lower taxes for a good 20 years now. Result is now people are buying 3-doors city cars with diesel engines!
There are so many reasons against this choice but, "hey, the manufacturer did put a green badge on my car, so why should I worry?" :cry:
 
I've already mentioned this is a few threads earlier as from next year there will be a new emmissions test for diesel vehicles as well as an extra £10 charge in the congestion zone in London, but that's not until 2020. I am currently trying to convince my dad that the new X5 he wants should be a petrol model and to punt on my mothers 530d touring before the Sh!t hits the fan and the value of diesel vehicles tumbles like nobody's business.

I think it's inevitable that higher VEDs will be charged going forward, how far back they go with regards to raising them is anyone's guess.
 
Any excuse to get more money out of the motorist
Give it five years and petrol cars will be the culprits again despite the fact that cars emit less bad fumes than they ever have done
If we want the luxury of owning cars, central heating, electricity to drive all of our lights and gadgets then there has to be a downside and pollution of some degree is the price we have to pay
I still think it's better than living in the dark ages but then I don't think I'm suffering too much from pollution apart from being punished financially
But of course I do feel for those who are
 
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