The Future Of The Diesel Engine

What will be the future for the Diesel engine? We can’t help but wonder as we waved goodbye to Maruti Suzuki’s 1.3 Multijet Diesel engine in the December of 2019. Since they cannot adapt the engine to meet BS-VI norms, Maruti stopped making 1.3L JTD Diesel engines. This has affected some of their highest selling models like Swift, Dzire, Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga, Ciaz and S-Cross.

This was an unexpected move by the automobile giant as it had sold over 3 lakh Diesel cars in the same year. Their decision to do away with the Diesel engine did raise some serious questions. The FIAT sourced 1.3L Multijet Diesel is a widely used Diesel engine in India. From Maruti Suzuki to Tata and Chevrolet use this engine specification for their Diesel cars.

Citing a survey by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM); while Petrol car’s market share skyrocketed to 60% in the financial year 2018 from 47% in 2014, Diesel vehicles’, on the other hand, dropped to 40% from 53% which signifies the dwindling demand for Diesel cars.

However, in the financial year of 2019, we saw the market for diesel cars contract even further. The demand fell from 36% in 2018 to 29% a year later. At the same time, the demand for Private Vehicles (PVs) that run on Petrol went up to 71%. So, is this the end of the line for the frugal Diesel? GoMechanic finds out.

The BS-VI (Bharat Stage 6) Emissions 2020

Times are going to get tough, the future for the Diesel engine looks dismal. With the rolling out of the Bharat Stage 6 in April 2020, the emissions standards have gotten a lot stringent. Despite the pandemic, this has called for various car makers to invest hefty resources into developing cleaner Diesel engines. Since BS6 vehicles have larger catalytic converters and reduced emissions of particulate matter, these cars are more expensive as well. 

with the arrival of the BS6 norm, Diesel cars have gotten dearer by 60,000 to 1 lakh rupees. bs6 motorbikes and scooters command an even bigger premium over their bs4 versions.

Even globally, the Diesel engine has had problems finding its way on to the roads. The Volkswagen emissions scandal of 2015, also known as #DieselGate got a lot of authorities concerned. Diesel fuel has come under a lot of flak lately. This explains the obvious apprehension of car manufacturers who are gradually phasing out their Diesel motors.

The Introduction of Dual-Fuel

The only reason why people buy Diesel (at least in India) is because Diesel fuel is cheaper and Diesel cars are more efficient than their Petrol counterparts.

This changed with the introduction of CNG and LPG as an automotive fuel. Today, a lot of cars come factory-fitted with Dual-Fuel (either Petro/CNG or Petrol/LPG) from the manufacturer. The all-time best selling Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 with CNG and Petrol Dual-Fuel has been the top choice for many car buyers.

The provision of Dual-Fuel offers huge savings on fuel expenditure and the car runs a lot cleaner and greener too. This is why Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Hyundai Xcent Prime, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Tata Indica eMax are some of the best selling commercial cars in India.

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The Electric Future?

If Diesel engines (or any internal combustion engine, for that matter) are completely phased out, electric cars will be the perfect replacement.

As a matter of fact, exhibiting its commitment at the Paris Climate Change Meet, India has pledged to make a significant shift towards electric vehicles by 2030. India unveiled the ‘National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020’ in 2013 to give the EV trend a bigger push. The Government of India also started the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME) scheme which provides incentives for purchasing electric vehicles.

Speaking of Electric Cars, check this out: Electric Cars in India: The Clear Picture

But, the road to electric mobility is fraught with several challenges. In the country, we lack the most basic requirement for electric cars – electricity. Today, the most troubling setback faced by the electric car industry is the absence of a sustainable electric infrastructure. Just like how Petrol-powered cars rely on Petrol bunks, electric and hybrid cars can’t go without electric charging stations.

Despite all these, Indian roads have seen a fair few electric/hybrid cars. The homegrown Mahindra e2O, the globally acclaimed Toyota Prius, BMW’s i3, Honda Accord Hybrid are some examples. Now more electric cars like Hyundai Kona Electric, Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra eXUV300 will be released in India in 2021.

Is it time to say goodbye to Diesel?

Frankly no! At least not for a while. A total ban on Diesel will pose a great challenge to the government. It took Europe a whole decade to shift to the EURO6 (equivalent to BS6) whereas, India has got only a few years ahead as the deadline. A sudden restriction on Diesel fuel is highly unlikely.

It should also be noted that the SUV market has remained strong. With 7 out of 10 cars sold in India falling in the hatchback or sedan category, Diesel SUVs have held a bullish position for many years. 70% of SUV buyers prefer the Diesel variant with 30% going for Petrol.

There is also no denying that Diesel engines are remarkably efficient and cheaper to maintain. This is the reason why they find their use in all sort of commercial transportation activities panning the country. Banning Diesel fuel is not a smart move to make. So, for the time being, Diesel cars are here to stay.

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