Last month there were reports that Audi and Porsche could eventually bring diesel engines back to the United States.
Those claims are now being put to rest as Audi’s technical development boss told Car & Driver. “I do not believe that Americans in their true belief and heart, their cultural way of driving, are suited to diesel. They aren’t.” Peter Mertens went on to say “Everybody tried, we Europeans tried to give an answer maybe to a question that wasn’t asked.”
Of course, there’s a lot more going on here than just a lack of demand. Mertens admitted as much saying the problem with diesel right now is image. As he explained, “People think that diesel is bad. It’s not helping us and it’s not helping the environment, speaking frankly.”
The news will probably disappoint a lot of diesel fans but Audi and Porsche aren’t the only ones forgoing diesel.
Mercedes recently withdrawal its attempt to sell 2017 models with diesel engines in the United States. The company hasn’t decided if diesels will make a return but they accounted for less than one percent of the company’s U.S. sales in 2016.
