RAC comments on diesel car ‘demonisation’ campaign

RAC chief engineer David Bizley said: “Diesel engines are generally more efficient than their petrol equivalent, though the gap is closing. The selection of diesel vehicles by an increasing proportion of new car buyers in recent years has made a significant contribution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and has also reduced fuel bills for their drivers.

"There is evidence that the previous generation of diesel emission standards (Euro 4 and 5) that have applied to new vehicles purchased since 2006 have not delivered all of the reduction in emissions of nitrogen dioxide and have not been as great as forecast, because the internationally agreed tests that the vehicles have to pass have not adequately reflected real world driving.

"These testing procedures are being addressed by the international standards community and there are no reasons to believe that the reductions in oxides of nitrogen associated with the new Euro 6 standard for diesel vehicles, which will apply to all new diesel vehicles from this September, will not be delivered.

“However, it would be wrong to penalise motorists retrospectively for choosing a diesel vehicle when they believed it to be the best choice from an environmental perspective because of its low carbon dioxide emissions. Motorists should therefore continue to select the vehicle type that best fits with their needs.”