Sources within Renault have revealed to Reuters that the French automaker will likely drop diesel engines from most of its models by the year 2020.
One year after Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal, executives at Renault think diesel has a bleak future and may not be able to survive ever-tightening emissions standards.
According to a source who was in a July meeting with company chief competitiveness officer Thierry Bollore, “He said we were now wondering whether diesel would survive, and that he wouldn’t have voiced such doubts even at the start of this year. Tougher standards and testing methods will increase technology costs to the point where diesel is forced out of the market.”
A-segment models within Renault’s portfolio, such as the Twingo, are no longer offered with diesel engines and by 2020, the firm thinks diesel engines will no longer exist in its B-segment cars (Clio etc.). Additionally, rising diesel development costs could also push out the fuel from C-segment models like the Megane.
Consultant company AlixPartners believes that Renault won’t be the only company to shy away from diesel in the future, claiming that by 2030, European diesel sales will drop to 9 per cent of the market from the current 52 per cent figure.
PHOTO GALLERY
