REPORTS of the death of the internal combustion engine have been greatly exaggerated.
Motoring news headlines give the impression that the world is turning electric in the next decade which will see the end of petrol and diesel engines. This is not realistic and not possible. Even Volvo, which said it would turn electric after 2019, will continue to produce hybrid cars which still rely on fossil fuel.
Modern cars are reliable and durable, and those of us who bought a luxury sedan or SUV are not likely to give them up anytime soon. They are likely to survive with their present or next owners well into the next decade.
Meanwhile, electric vehicles have their limitations in powering larger vehicles for long distances. They still have price, residual value and range issues yet to be resolved. Their time will come in the future to play an important role in the transport network, but that will be within a mix of hybrid, gasoline and diesel cars. It is feasible to expect families to have two cars each — one electric for town trips and one internal combustion or hybrid for long journeys.
Modern petrol engines are clean and highly efficient. Cars launched in 2017 should have a lifespan of at least ten years. These include a dozen or so petrol and diesel cars in the past three months alone. Some will even survive for another two decades such as the new Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Rolls Royce Phantom — all launched this month.
There are thousands if not millions of classic, sports and luxury cars that are cherished by their owners around the world. They, too, will continue to run for the foreseeable future.
For the present time, those jumping on the environmental bandwagon are harming the industry. Diesel is being demonized, although diesel passenger cars are not the biggest polluters. This has caused a decline in the value of diesel cars and made many potential car buyers reluctant to buy a new gasoline or diesel car, which could result in a recession.
• Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist based in London.
Source: http://bit.ly/2hfCKAb
