Ask an expert
I am disappointed you continue to recommend diesels. They are not environmentally friendly as even modern diesel cars produce over three times the air pollutants of the petrol equivalent.
This is mostly nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and particles. These are the major ingredients of petrochemical smog and the ARA estimates diesels are responsible for 43% of Auckland's smog. No diesel can meet Japanese and Californian emission standards and the European standard is much more lenient for diesels.
The diesel particulate filter manufacturers claim their filters only catch up to 85% of particles, which are highly carcinogenic as they permanently lodge in the lungs. To make it worse they clean by burning the residue into the atmosphere! Their only advantage is slightly lower CO2 emissions.
Paul
From the "Ask Jack" archives - 14 December 2009
There isn't one vehicle or one engine that suits everybody's needs and for some motorists a diesel powered vehicle fulfils their needs best.
With the latest emission rules coming into affect for used vehicles, hopefully we will now see much cleaner diesel imports coming into NZ in the future.
This has been a much bigger problem on our roads and to our long term health for many years than any new diesel vehicle brings to our shores in my opinion.
While the new diesel vehicles may not be quite there yet in your eyes, I'm sure you would agree they have progressed a long way in recent times and will progress a lot further in the near future.
I stand to be corrected, but I also believe our diesel fuel in NZ requires a further drop in sulphur content to accommodate the very latest diesel engine technology available in Europe.
We certainly don't intentionally promote diesels over petrol for any reason other than a vehicle been fit for the purpose intended.
In other cases such as diesel powered smaller vehicles, we try and portray a balanced view.
What is the answer Paul? There are many people who believe Hybrid technology is not environmentally friendly either, yet many of them are driven by those who portray a green image.