A recent study has found that “fuel-efficient” diesel cars actually create more CO2 during the lifetime of the car than equivalent gas-powered cars. Read the full report at Green Car Reports, but here are the ECO bullets for you:
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- Diesel cars make 1.6 tonnes more wells-to-wheels carbon emissions than do gasoline cars running E95, a blend of 95 percent gasoline and 5 percent ethanol
- Even with a B7 blend—95 percent diesel and 5 percent biodiesel—producing the heavier engines of the diesel cars produce 0.25 more tonnes of CO2
- Diesel fuel has more energy per volume, which skews its fuel-efficiency ratings against gasoline
- In its lifetime, a diesel car will make 42.65 tonnes of CO2 versus 39 tonnes from a gasoline car
- The comparison is based on 113,000 miles driven in a diesel car and 108,000 miles driven in a gasoline vehicle
- The analysis does not take into account the full number of extra miles diesel cars drive on average
- More and more automakers will electrify more and more of their vehicles as countries—most importantly China—move to ban the sale of cars powered by fossil fuels, some as early as 2025.
Keep in mind, this analysis was done on passenger-type cars in normal consumer driving scenarios. That said, we find it interesting that the total CO2 output on diesel vehicles (including production) is higher than most would expect. This is yet another indicator that alternative fuels and electric vehicles will continue to grow globally. If you have any type of engine in production, and you’re looking to break into the U.S. or California market, give us a call. Our team of experts can guide you through the most intense regulatory situations.
