Consumers Choose Diesel

[Nightglow]

The AA is claiming more drivers are now choosing diesel over petrol when buy a new car.

http://news.sky.com/story/1074253/petrol-sales-crash-as-consumers-choose-diesel

 

[paradigm]

The RAC Foundation's director Professor Stephen Glaister warned that the UK's infrastructure could not cope with an increase in diesel's popularity.

"Our ageing refineries are not geared up to cope with growing demand for diesel and you can't just flick a switch to produce more," he said.

Surely, given that Diesel is a by-product of producing petrol, it will never be a case of increasing Diesel production, anywhere, especially a nation that now has higher diesel use than petrol. Unless of course we can find a market to export more petrol to.

We must be importing our Diesel from nations that still have higher petrol over diesel usage?

 

[Imy]

Is this happening because there isn't as much of a difference in list price anymore between new diesel and petrol cars or is it more to do with company car trends?

The diesels always look better on paper to most people when purchase price is taken out of consideration.

 

[[TW]Fox]

It's because many people see fuel costs the only cost of motoring.

 

[Westyfield2]

<Looks at driveway with four petrol cars>
Well I'm bucking the trend .

 

[Yaayuh!]

It's because many people see fuel costs the only cost of motoring.

Indeed. Also, there is that whole "we must be more economical, especially where driving is concerned" thing going on. So people automatically think Dieslol despite the fact petrol CAN be economical.

 

[Imy]

As we're talking about new cars here with presumably at least 3 years warranty, what would the warranty not cover in terms of diesel-only related maintenance?

 

[Nightglow]

Modern diesels aren't exactly slow, & engine technology has advanced a long way since the days of the slow & smokey image.

 

[Dabbles]

Modern diesels aren't exactly slow, & engine technology has advanced a long way since the days of the slow & smokey image.

Aren't modern diesels much more complicated, hence more expensive to fix than their equivalent petrols?

Surely the parts are under more load due to ~2x compression ratio of diesel, so they will fail more often and/or be more expensive to make.

 

[Nightglow]

Aren't modern diesels much more complicated, hence more expensive to fix than their equivalent petrols?

Surely the parts are under more load due to ~2x compression ratio of diesel, so they will fail more often and/or be more expensive to make.

Same with petrol engines, they are more complicated now.
Why do have this image that a diesel will fail more often, even petrol engines can fail.

 

[cokecan]

Aren't modern diesels much more complicated, hence more expensive to fix than their equivalent petrols?

Surely the parts are under more load due to ~2x compression ratio of diesel, so they will fail more often and/or be more expensive to make.

While they may be more complicated (though petrol engines are pretty complex now days too) which introduces more points for failure to occur, I'd expect the parts that make up these "complex" diesel engines to handle the higher compression ratio and not simply be the same/similar part used on the equivalent petrol with the expectation that they will break x amount of years down the line and will need to be replaced.

 

[Dandle]

Surely, given that Diesel is a by-product of producing petrol, it will never be a case of increasing Diesel production, anywhere, especially a nation that now has higher diesel use than petrol. Unless of course we can find a market to export more petrol to.

We must be importing our Diesel from nations that still have higher petrol over diesel usage?

It doesnt really work like that diesel and the heavier oils can be converted form one thing to another i.e kerosene can be converted to diesel. Petrol is only one of many products from the refining process and really sits on its own as you cant do anything with it. In the scheme of oil, petrol isnt the money maker for the oil industries.

 

[Gribs]

Aren't modern diesels much more complicated, hence more expensive to fix than their equivalent petrols?

Surely the parts are under more load due to ~2x compression ratio of diesel, so they will fail more often and/or be more expensive to make.

Non of those things matter when it's under warranty and most of them manage to last the 4 years fleet buyers now seem to require anyway.

 

[Dabbles]

Same with petrol engines, they are more complicated now.
Why do have this image that a diesel will fail more often, even petrol engines can fail.

While they may be more complicated (though petrol engines are pretty complex now days too) which introduces more points for failure to occur, I'd expect the parts that make up these "complex" diesel engines to handle the higher compression ratio and not simply be the same/similar part used on the equivalent petrol with the expectation that they will break x amount of years down the line and will need to be replaced.

Either the parts will be beefed up a little bit and fail with the same frequency as their petrol equivalents, but be a bit more expensive when they do need replacing, or they will be beefed up a lot and fail less often than their petrol equivalents, but will be massively more expensive in the first place and to replace with they do fail.

 

[Dabbles]

Non of those things matter when it's under warranty and most of them manage to last the 4 years fleet buyers now seem to require anyway.

Do most consumers drive fleet cars? Do they replace them every 4 years with a brand new car to save on a bit of fuel?

 

[Joe T]

The AA are looking at the last five years. However, looking in the more recent time frame (i.e. 2013) SMMT quote from their press release today:

Registrations of petrol-fuelled cars rose by 12.1% so far in 2013, outselling diesels. This has been spurred by growth in the small car and private sector markets.

 

[rare]

It soon stats to get expensive once you need to change a few injectors and a duff DPF..

 

[Tute]

It's down to morons believing the government's crap on emissions and opting to spend £10000 to save £100 a year.

Still, if they want to try and prop up the economy single handed, let them.

 

[cuke2u]

The AA are looking at the last five years. However, looking in the more recent time frame (i.e. 2013) SMMT quote from their press release today:

Probably due to diesel technology finding its way into mainstream petrol cars, i.e.. direct injection, and diesel like economy.

 

[gillywibble]

I've got a diesel and I don't believe the Government's lies regarding emissions. It worked out as the best deal at the time. It was either that or the 3.6 litre V6 and I would have been throwing money away.

Plus I'm a big fan of Otto