Why Are More Drivers Moving Back To Petrol From Diesel?

Saturday, 6. December 2008

Is diesel still best? Research by GE Capital Solutions has shown a return to petrol power as petrol cars become more efficient and some diesel drivers find out, too late, that you have to take action to stop the particulate filter from clogging which, if not done, can lead to the filter requiring replacing at a not inconsiderable cost. In the meantime a clogged filter can lead to poor performance and an increase in fuel consumption. The survey by GE found that 10.7% of fleets saw an increase in petrol vehicle registrations over the last year compared to 3% that found diesel on the increase. However the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders found that the diesel market share rose to an all time high of 45.6% in October 2008. Whilst smaller fleets, those of less than 25 cars, showed a decrease in diesel registrations, larger fleets saw a massive increase. In the first 10 months of 2007 the number of diesel registrations stood at 468,000, this year the figure has soared to 511,000. GE said that they are looking at trends rather than vehicle acquisitions although my experiences are that diesel is as popular as ever even with the pump price differential between petrol and diesel still much higher than it has ever been. By Graham Hill