Diesel isn’t always a dirty word

I’ll admit I’m a pretty fundamentalist petrolhead, so it took a while for me to accept that EVs were the right answer to many requests for new car-buying advice. However, in the past year or so I’ve found myself oddly campaigning for a very unexpected alternative: diesel. 

There’s no doubt that this technology has taken a colossal beating thanks to the bad press brought on by Volkswagen and its co-conspirators during the Dieselgate scandal. And it’s understandable that we, the British public, have probably had enough of being told it’s a solution to climate change only to be, in effect, lied to. But I’m here to tell you that diesel isn’t a dirty word for our short-term goals in reducing carbon emissions. 

However, I will caveat this by saying that, whether you live in a city, the suburbs or even the countryside, electric cars are by and large, the better option. Yet, for those of you who just do too many miles for an EV to make sense, or if you’re as yet unwilling to adjust to the behavioural changes that inevitably go hand in hand with making the switch to electric power, a diesel car can – for now at least – be a better option than a pure petrol model. Let me explain. 

Diesel cars became popular for one main reason. They generally use less fuel and emit less CO2 than an equivalent petrol car, and this is largely still the case. A good example are family SUVs: an Audi Q7 fitted with a V6 diesel engine is rated on the official WLTP cycle at between 34-35.8mpg, with CO2 emissions of around 208-217g/km. The petrol V6 sees this drop to 26.4-27.4mpg, while CO2 output rises to 235-243g/km. 

There is a plug-in hybrid variant that is significantly more efficient on paper, but its consumption figures skyrocket when the battery is depleted, because the petrol engine has to deal with the added mass of the hybrid system. So when it comes to long-distance cruising, a modern, properly maintained diesel-engined car is still often the best choice until other, more efficient options present themselves. 

If you mainly drive in towns and cities, or have a reasonable commute with at-home charging, buy an EV – it won’t just be good for your conscience, it’ll also save you money. But if you’re sitting on motorways at a constant cruise for more than 100 miles a day, a diesel is still best. Here’s hoping the Government will take this into account and make sure that any upcoming legislation is as nuanced as the answer is. 

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