Posted on 02/28/2018 8:58:33 AM PST by Red Badger
The automaker recently settled a lawsuit over emissions cheating
Fiat Chrysler has become the latest automaker to turn its back on diesel-powered engines as more of the industry pivots to battery-electric vehicles. According to the Financial Times, the Italian-American carmaker will end production of its diesel passenger vehicles by 2022.
FCA, which manufacturers Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat, will unveil its four-year plan to phase out diesel vehicles on June 1st, the Times says. A spokesperson declined to comment. "Diesel has been falling out of favor"
Diesel has long been promoted by governments and carmakers as a way to reduce CO2 emissions. But the fuel source has been falling out of favor since it was discovered that Volkswagen installed emissions-test cheating software in 11 million of its diesel vehicles.
Other automakers, FCA included, have been accused of manufacturing cars that don’t comply with clean air rules. FCA recently reached an agreement with the US Department of Justice to settle its emissions cheating lawsuit. As part of the deal, the automaker will recall 104,000 vehicles and pay a substantial but unspecified civil penalty.
Other automakers are dropping diesel, too. Porsche has said it will stop the production of cars with diesel engines, and Toyota is trending away from the scandal-tainted fuel source as well.
Meanwhile, many automakers are pivoting to electric vehicles, including FCA. CEO Sergio Marchionne has said he expects most vehicles made by 2025 to either be fully electric or hybrid.
“By 2025 more than half of the power units you see on the road will have some relevance of electrification,” he said in an interview with Bloomberg. “There may be a base combustion engine, but it is combustion and electrification that will make the machine run. Electrification will happen not necessarily as full battery‑electric vehicles but in combination with other forms of power. It’s going to be a very interesting time.”
Fiat diesel I rented in Spain back in 2003 was a really nice car and got about 50mpg.
Bye-bye Cummins powered Dodge Rams?
I think they are just talking cars, not trucks.................
dump the electric ones too....and take off 90% of the electronic bs on new US cars altogether!
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GunnyG: AMERICAN!/NOT AINO!
TRUMP.45 IF We Can keep Him?
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I refuse to believe they are ditching the Cummins. It has to be one of their biggest money makers, outside of Jeep.
Cars, not trucks...............
“scandal-tainted fuel source”
What BS. IIRC, VW rigged their engine software to exceed emission standards only when the engine was under heavy load like acceleration. Without the modified software, engine performance was lower. If I had to guess, the cheating probably got you up to freeway speed in 6 seconds instead of 5.7 seconds.
It is utterly ridiculous to “taint” all diesel fuel with the “scandal” broad brush.
This is just manufacturers falling prey to the whims of government. Government says:
Yesterday, Gasoline Bad, Diesel Good.
Today it is Diesel Bad, Electricity Good.
If you chase the chimera of government dictats you will be forever chasing your tail. The auto companies should give their governments a big “FU” and listen to what their customers want.
This is dumb. Oil is not going way up in price—especially with the spread of fracking technology. 20 lbs. of petroleum STILL has (and will continue to have) more BTUs than 20 lbs of any battery. Therefore, THE most efficient petroleum engines—diesels—will have a future...
Those who get out of the petroleum engine game (anticipating government restrictions) will loose out in free markets...without such restrictions (as in the developing world, and maybe—if Trump stays...the USA).
Back in the day, I commuted to work in a VW Diesel Rabbit. It was a great car. I got about 50 MPG, and it lasted me faithfully for 190,000 miles without any major repairs.
Then I had to give it up when the tree huggers banned diesel fuel.
Governments are pushing hard on electric cars. I wish I better understand what nefarious activities they are up to. I don’t think for a minute that governments are pushing electric cars for environmental reasons - they are evil, but not stupid and electric cars are not better for the environment.
Is it as simple as the push to self driving cars - electric cars make that easier? And self driving cars give mobility control back to the government?
I think there are only a few of those left, aren’t there? I seem to remember less than 5...?
Anyway - saw one at the Transportation Museum south of St. Louis, I believe it was... More trains than anything but a good collection of cars, too.
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Electric cars are subject to insurmountable limitations.
The kind of limitations that tyrants wish to impose on the populace.
We need to fight electric cars with everything we have, and demand that they be prohibited on all numbered highway routes.
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To control the masses, make sure they cannot leave......................
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I once was a big fan of Dodge trucks, back when they were battle-tough and indestructable.
They are tinny cheap trash now.
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Nailed it!
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