I drove two amazing diesel cars recently and they deserve someone who still sings their praises. We absolutely need these cars to exist. Allow me to explain.
Well, I guess this is a first. I am going to write about a BMW and a Mercedes in the same text. However, I am not going to compare them, nor say which one is the best. There are two very good reasons for that.
The first reason is, making a comparison is not the topic I want to address. I want to write about diesel engines and how they are still relevant.
The second reason is, I really cannot say which one is best or even which one I would rather have. And when I got to this conclusion, I found it to be a rather curious one, as I have always been more of a BMW kind of guy but found the latest E-Class so good, I thought to myself, I may just prefer it to the new 5 Series. Truth is, I would need to live with both for a longer period of time to proclaim which one I think is best or which one I would rather own.
Whatever one you may choose – if you are in the market for an executive saloon – I can safely say you will have a truly excellent car in the garage. A diesel car I mean – let there be no mistakes here. I am praising these cars with diesel engines up front. With other powerplants, I may or may not like them as much.
I am genuinely shocked by how politicians have made diesel engines the public enemy number one since the whole Volkswagen dieselgate scandal. Suddenly, diesel was to blame for all that was wrong in the world. Yes, it is a dirtier technology than petrol and it is not zero emissions like Battery Electric Vehicles, but diesel engines have gotten so advanced, they offer incredible range and very low average fuel consumption – and consequently very low CO2 emissions.
Except no one cares about this anymore because governments started pushing for electric cars, giving away tax advantages for zero-emissions vehicles and constructors had no reason to keep investing in diesel. Even those who still want a combustion-powered car prefer one with a petrol engine, regardless of how they are going to use it. It’s complete nonsense, but so is pretty much everything else these days, so why should this be any different…?
Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG line; exterior: verde silver; interior: Nappa leather neva grey/black, light silver metallic mixed fabric centre console
As the European car industry serves up its own market on a platter to the Chinese and their cheap (and better, or at least as good) electric cars, sales numbers reflect a reality where fleets are trying to hold the electric car market steady, but private buyers are simply not getting into the trend as fast as politicians hoped. Why? Well, because electric cars are more expensive, and they bring along a lot of inconveniences. Plus, unless you can charge at home, they are not that cheaper to run.
Fast chargers damage the batteries, but no one really knows by how much and so another problem is brewing: dealers don’t want to sell second-hand electric cars because they simply don’t know how much they are worth.
Depreciation is a serious problem when you are constantly hearing and reading that the next generation of batteries is right around the corner with three times more range, etc, etc, etc. Studies say the average electric car loses around half of its value in the first three years, whereas a petrol car is likely to still be worth 65% to 70% of its original price in the same time frame. Even more worrying, depreciation levels are increasing dramatically year-on-year.
There are other problems. In hot climates, battery degradation is much higher, whilst in cold climates, the homologated range is impossible to achieve. So, either you have a car for many years in the cold but cannot get anywhere or you have to change vehicle more often but can get further on each of its charge. Simply ridiculous.
Let’s also talk about efficiency. Isn’t that why we are being forced into a technology that is too young for the desired widespread adoption? We were told we would save the planet if we all scraped our diesel cars and bought something powered by electricity. Well, I guess lying is just normal these days. Certainly, in the high ranks of politics, corporations and, sadly, on most of the media we used to turn to for clarity and certainty on important matters.
The numbers are clear for all to see. Let’s break them down. The transport sector accounts for 21% of total CO2 emissions. Road transport is responsible for three quarters of that, so roughly 15%; aviation is 11.6%, one percentage point more than international shipping at 10.6%. Rail travel and freight means just 1% of total transport emissions.
Within road transport, passenger travel accounts for 45% – that is private cars, buses, taxis and motorcycles. So, 45% of 21% of the whole transportation sector means 7% total. SEVEN PERCENT! You are reading that right, all of you anti-Internal Combustion cars, diesel is the devil and all of that: if we all drive around in an electric car powered by 100% renewable energy sources, we solve 7% of the problem.
Repeat after me: hypocrisy. Again, for the cheap seats please: hypocrisy. So, can I just say that diesel is still the best way to have a car for those who do big mileages and find the long range of diesel cars a luxury they cannot afford to give up.
I certainly would rather have a BMW 520d or a Mercedes E220d than a BMW I5 or a Mercedes EQE. I know many of my colleagues think differently and feel the diesels are dinosaurs in a new market reality that has outgrown them.
Please read as much as you can and make up your own mind. But please do not compromise because social media tells you to; do not go electric because it’s trendy and do not give up your freedom and spontaneity for a thumbs-up from eco-warriors who clearly have not dug deep enough to get to those 7% I just told you about.
Good to know someone is still making great ICE cars. They will be more relevant in the times to come than your government wants you to believe. And someone helps us if they are not.
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