Diesel will be a key player for years, says engine expert

DIESEL may be down but it’s far from out. That’s the conviction – to be expected, of course – from senior executives in KIA/ HYUNDAI and BMW (see P2), whom I interviewed.

Michael Winkler, head of powertrain at Hundai, says diesel will remain the fuel of choice for large numbers of Europeans for years to come.

There has to be diversification share but diesel works on so many levels, especially on its low C02 emissions, he says.

“We will have different shares of powertrains for different markets. Diesel’s share will decrease into the future but it still has a big, relevant role.”

That will come as some comfort to Irish owners fearful of price rises at the pumps and lower trade-in values.

At industry level, Mr Winkler says the big challenge is to work out what will be in demand in future. Because of that uncertainty his company is building cars that can accommodate many powertrains – electric, hybrid, diesel or petrol.

And on the latter he forecasts growth in ‘mild-hybrid’ where the petrol engine gets a boost at critical times, leading to a significant drop in emissions.

He sees that as a big advantage over electrics and hybrids because there is no battery pack to lug around.

I EXPECTED fighting talk from BMW on diesel – and I got it. Head of diesel development Fritz Steinparzer (above) claims many cities have never had such clean air and it’s time the myth of ‘pollution’ from diesel NOx was challenged.

He says the media in particular has given lobby groups and NGOs an easy ride by not challenging their research, their figures or their claims.

He says current Euro6 diesels, with their NOx absorbing technology, are among the cleanest around.

He believes much of the perceived anti-diesel campaigns kicked into life with the Volkswagen scandal. For the record: “Our company (BMW) did not manipulate (emissions).” The VW saga was a mood changer, he says.

And so he returns to the fightback. He says details of their engines and how they keep them clean are known in detail. And yet carmakers are quizzed intensely about their emissions.

“(But) no one asks the NGOs where they got their figures, their research,” he argues.

By raising this question he suggests much of the data on which the anti-diesel lobby relies is out of date and not rigorously assessed.

He is confident BMW diesels will be well capable of meeting future regulatory limits.

“We will phase in improvements. We have the ability to (meet) regulations. We have very low levels of NOx,” he says.

And beyond Euro6? Euro7 is a great unknown right now. Who knows what will have changed by then.