Citroen has joined the list of brands that plan to phase out diesel-powered cars in the coming years. The head of the brand, Vincent Kobe, is skeptical about the future of heavy fuel engines, writes Autocar.
Demand for cars with these engines will continue to fall, predicts Kobe: “I am extremely cold-blooded about diesels. Five years ago, their share [in certain segments] was 80%, and last year it was less than 50%, in three or four years it may drop to 15%."
And although Vincent does not directly say that the company refuses to produce cars with diesel engines, according to him, it can be concluded that Citroen is unlikely to invest in the development of new heavy-fuel engines in the future and will gradually withdraw diesel modifications from its range.
Automakers began phasing out diesel engines after the 2015 Volkswagen bypass scandal. Special software in certain modes underestimated emissions of harmful substances and thus allowed "dirty" diesel engines to fit into strict environmental requirements. The scandal caused enormous reputational damage to the very concept of diesel engines.
The intention to gradually remove diesel cars from the range was previously announced by such companies as Renault, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Volvo.
Diesel engines of the Blue HDi series with a volume of 1.5-2.0 liters are installed on Citroen cars: C4, C5 Aircross, C4 Space Tourer, as well as on commercial models.
Citroen boss: in three or four years, the share of diesel engines will fall to 15%
