For many years we’ve trusted diesel as the fuel used for some of the large trucks we drive to help get things done. The benefits of the increase in torque for low-end power that can help give a vehicle more power to haul items is unmistakable and hard to argue with. At some point, automakers decided to try putting diesel engines in small cars and Volkswagen was certainly a leader in this market. The benefits were small vehicles that were much more efficient than the gasoline counterparts and for a long time, we thought these were the right models to drive.
When Volkswagen was found guilty of cheating on emissions testing which was called the diesel scandal, we saw an immediate decline in the faith and trust in the diesel fuel that can be used for the ride on the road. This distrust in the diesel fuel used to power some vehicles has caused one company to begin to pull out of the diesel market for good. This company is FCA and they have already announced how and when they plan to make their way out of the market for good.
The FCA Plan for Diesel
The numbers don’t lie and it seems the share of diesel sales has declined month over month since the dieselgate scandal of Volkswagen. This means there’s some clear evidence that the cost of making diesel models and meeting the new standards that are required makes it cost prohibitive for an automaker to create them. This is especially the case when the potential for sales of these diesel models is actually much smaller than the investment calls for. Sergio Marchionne is one of the most blunt CEOs in the automotive industry and he feels there’s no future for diesel.
Many of the different automakers on the market are clearly moving away from this fuel as quickly as possible and FCA isn’t any exception to this at all. The FCA Group is preparing to unveil the next five-year plant to the investors on June 1 and this change in philosophy will be a big part of it. By 2022 there will no longer be any diesel model for the Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, and Maserati brands to reduce the number of brands that have any diesel models offered in the lineup to make sure they move away quickly.
What will FCA focus on instead of diesel for the power? This group of brands will instead focus on the electrification of models that will be part of the future of the lineup we want to enjoy on the road. While there may be some arguments on both sides of the diesel market, it seems there are more brands that have turned against it than any other and FCA Group may not have the strength to turn it around. The future will allow us to see what the different electric models will be as we move forward in the automotive industry.
