Now Nissan vows to phase out diesel cars

NISSAN has announced it is going to gradually phase out cars powered by diesel in Europe.

However, it is not clear when the Japanese automaker will begin the process.

The decision follows that of Toyota, which recently announced it will sell no new diesel cars in Ireland next year.

A Nissan spokeswoman confirmed the decision, but declined to set a date on when it would start.

She said the advent of electrification will allow the brand to gradually ease sales of diesels every time it renews a car model.

The brand will continue to sell diesels in the short term, but the focus is on electric vehicles in the long term.

The spokeswoman was also quoted by ‘Automotive News Europe’ as saying: “We can see the progressive decline of diesel but we do not anticipate its sudden end in the short term. At this point in time, and for many customers, modern diesel engines will remain in demand and continue to be available.”

It is not clear either how the decision will affect Renault, with whom Nissan shares many diesel powerplants as part of its alliance. Nissan has already decided to cut hundreds of jobs at its Sunderland plant in England as it tackles declining demand for diesel models across Europe.

Overall, diesel buying on the Irish market fell 19.3pc in the first four months of the year, according to official new-car registrations.