With the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars over a decade away, there’s still a place for diesel cars, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club. Diesel sales have declined heavily in recent years, driven down by the ‘dieselgate’ emissions scandal and the rise of hybrids and electric vehicles. Diesel-powered models now account for fewer than seven per cent of all new cars sold, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows.
Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Hartlepool Mail, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Battery electric cars have long since overtaken diesels, taking a 16 per cent share of the new car market so far this year. Even so, the unique strengths of diesel engines mean they shouldn’t be written off just yet, argue the towing experts from the Camping and Caravanning Club.
“Diesel engines are well-suited to towing,” says the club’s editor-in-chief, Rob Ganley. “A good diesel has lots of torque (twisting force) – think shire horse rather than racing thoroughbred. This means diesel-powered cars tend to hold speed well on hilly roads and motorway inclines.
They also accelerate well while towing without needing to be worked as hard as a petrol engine. “A modern diesel that meets the latest Euro 6 emissions standard is much cleaner than many car buyers realise, and th.