Europe turns its back on diesel cars.

Despite being the world's largest consumer market for diesel vehicles, many European countries have recently been considering a complete ban on this type of vehicle due to environmental pollution concerns.

Paris is engulfed in car exhaust fumes.

There was a time when diesel cars were considered the "savior" of the automotive industry due to their much higher efficiency, while consuming less fuel and emitting less CO2 than gasoline engines of the same displacement. Many governments – such as France – even had policies encouraging the use of diesel vehicles.

However, they have now realized that besides CO2, diesel engines emit many other harmful substances – one of which is NO2 – a cause of heart and lung diseases. Compared to gasoline engines, diesel engines emit more NO2, and even on the newest cars, the exhaust filters are not very effective at reducing this substance. Worse still, these filters can cause side effects that affect the car's performance, leading many car owners to want to remove them.

Compared to gasoline engines, diesel engines emit more NO2. (Illustrative image)

The explosion in the number of diesel vehicles has led to NO2 levels in the air of many cities exceeding the limits set by the European Union. Therefore, measures to reduce the use of diesel vehicles have been proposed.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is proposing to the French government a plan to completely eliminate diesel vehicles from the capital by 2020. This is no easy goal, especially considering that 80% of cars in France use this type of fuel. And it's not just Paris; London is also looking to increase the road usage fee for diesel vehicles from the current £10 to £20.

Speed ​​limit signs on highways in France are intended to reduce emissions.

It seems that in Europe, the "wind has turned" for diesel-powered vehicles. Therefore, unless manufacturers find more effective ways to reduce their harmful effects, diesel engines have a bleak future!

According to VOV