Although some leading automotive executives believe diesels are on a downward spiral to extinction, Jaguar Land Rover boss Ralf Speth has vehemently defended diesel-powered vehicles.
Speth believes that diesel vehicles are crucially important for the industry to meet strict emissions legislation and that they must endure.
“The latest diesel technology is really such a step in emissions, performance, particulates; it’s better for the environment when compared to [an equivalent] petrol. Diesel has to – needs to – have a future,” he said.
Speth expressed his belief to Autocar that diesel vehicles have become demonized because people have lumped together old diesels with much cleaner and more modern diesel vehicles. Additionally, the JLR chief executive believes that industries for commercial vehicles, buses, trucks and taxis all need to step up their game with cleaner diesel engines, rather than solely relying on the car industry to push the technology forward.
Despite his belief that diesel vehicles will continue to play an important role in the years to come, Speth admits that eventually, the industry will progress towards battery electric vehicles.
“ICE to ACE – internal combustion engine cars to autonomous, connected, electrified ones – will happen in parallel. There’s no switch. You can’t say diesel will go in 2020. We need to develop both, internal combustion diesel and petrol engines, in addition to battery electric vehicles,” Speth said.
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