IRTE executive director Ian Chisholm says modern diesel vehicles are already “significantly cleaner than those in the past”.
He adds: “Unnecessarily scrapping diesel-powered vehicles...in favour of new electric or hybrid vehicles has its own environmental repercussions.
“The issue of diesel fuel emissions is more complex than current mainstream media coverage would suggest, and what has recently happened calls for a considered, long-term response, rather than a reactionary swing in the opposite direction.”
More reliable and accurate testing, says Chisholm, is one way to address the situation. Another, he says, is “stricter legislation that means individuals and operators cannot legally tamper with filters and other systems in place designed to minimise the environmental impact of diesel fuel”.
At last month’s IRTE Conference, Ricardo chief engineer Andrew Banks told delegates how his organisation is working to cut fuel consumption by reducing engine friction. This, says IRTE, is one example of an effective, multi-directional approach.
Banks also told the conference that US greenhouse gas legislation is driving a 9% improvement in fuel consumption by 2017, from its 2010 baseline. “We expect the same thing to happen in Europe,” he told delegates.