Art of Gears
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Diesel is a dying breed, out at Fiat Chrysler by 2022

By Andrew Hulse

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI - AUGUST 26: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne speaks at an event celebrating the start of production of three all-new stamping presses at the FCA Sterling Stamping Plant August 26, 2016 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The presses, whose installation began in July 2015 and cost $166 million, will increase the stamping capacity at the plant. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
STERLING HEIGHTS, MI - AUGUST 26: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne speaks at an event celebrating the start of production of three all-new stamping presses at the FCA Sterling Stamping Plant August 26, 2016 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The presses, whose installation began in July 2015 and cost $166 million, will increase the stamping capacity at the plant. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) /
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As more and more automakers are switching to hybrid and electric technology, diesel is suffering on every front except for large pickups.

Diesel is out at Fiat Chrysler according to Financial Times.  The switch will be made by 2022.  This is just the latest automaker to drop the fuel type after the Volkswagen scandal.  Ford, Honda, and Toyota are just some of the others.  All of the companies cite falling demand partially due to hybrid tech which is becoming more widely available and cheaper than ever.

With the exception of people buying 1-ton trucks and other pulling vehicles, consumers are less and less interested in a diesel vehicle.  The fuel type has taken a public perception beating lately, on top of the fallout from the VW scandal.  Most people associate diesel with thick black smoke, no starts on cold days and a terribly noisy driving experience.   These are truly misconceptions in this day and age, Chevrolet did just make the quietest diesel ever in the Colorado.

I have touched on the decline of diesel before but have never done a full piece only on the decline of diesel.

It all started with the VW diesel emissions scandal

Volkswagen was thrust into a bad spotlight by cheating on diesel emissions tests, I believe this is the first (maybe first couple) nail in the coffin for diesel.  The scandal was very widely covered in the news media.  It still is today with a recent report that the cheating software was tested on monkeys.  This gave the fuel a really bad name and any automaker making diesel passenger cars came under immediate scrutiny.

diesel
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) /

It isn’t only the VW scandal though

Another nail comes from very reliable and inexpensive hybrid and electric vehicle technology.  A large draw of diesel in consumer cars is the gas mileage.  One time, when I sold Mercedes, I was telling one customer about the gas mileage in a BlueTec.  He purchased the car but called me a couple weeks later and called me a liar.  I wasn’t sure why and don’t remember the exact numbers, I had lied about the mileage.  I told him 35ish on the highway, he was actually getting more like 45 so it was a good lie.

Next: Toyota building new R&D center, mini-Nurburgring included

Hybrids are doing better than diesel on both the affordability and efficiency front.  Naturally, consumers will trend this way.

In the end, there are many many reasons that diesel is not long for life in consumer vehicles.  Commercial trucks and pickups for people who tow will not go away until the full EV takeover.  I, for one, embrace our new electric overlords.

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