Diesels for the chop

[Jonno]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned here already.

The UK's highest court has ruled that the government must take immediate action to cut air pollution.

[fred]

In article , Jonno writes

Because it has f'ck all to do with DIY?

[Michael Chare]

The government needs to get a grip. My wife now has a VW diesel car and the road tax is very low.

I would welcome diesel buses being banned from pooring out black smoke and running their engines when the vehicle is stopped.

[Dave Liquorice]

No, read it properly. The UK government has to submit plans to tackle the problem by the end of the year, something that the government says it has always intended to do anyway.

Plans do not equal Action.

[Adrian]

A month after the biggest city announced that it was going to be doing exactly that.

[Richard]

Nothing to do with pollution, but everything to do with extortion.

[Adrian]

Conspiracy-theory-a-go-go...

[dennis]

If they ban them then they are trying to stop pollution but they are just going to charge you if you go in there. Like the congestion charge, it doesn't stop congestion but it does raise cash.

[Adrian]

Ever heard of dissuasion?

[tim.....]

Nah, It's the German system that extortion.

There, you don't get fined because you have taken a vehicle that doesn't meet the emission standards into the LEZ.

You get fined if you take a vehicle that does (meet it), but doesn't have a little sticker on it saying so (despite the fact that the criteria is based upon model/year and can thus be looked up in a book by the local plod).

And, of course, all German registered cars get their little sticker put on by the dealer at point of sale, but foreigners are expected to cough up 20 Euro for theirs

tim

[dennis]

But that requires that the penalty is high enough to dissuade, if it isn't then its just money grabbing.

If the pollution is a problem just ban them and stop them at the entry to the zone and turn them away.

[charles]

Problem is that there are very few petrol engined delivery lorries. So shops run out of stock, so they can't sell anything, so they close. So town centre becomes dead.

[Simon Brown]

Which is a different way of discouraging people from polluting there when it isn't viable to just ban all diesel powered vehicles.

It can reduce congestion if people are selective about when they travel because the charge is done in a way that encourages people to not go there when it's congested.

It can do both if done properly.

[harryagain]

It likely is fitted with an exhaust gas particle filter. You need to read the handbook carefully. If it ever needs replacement through maltreatment, they cost a bomb.

[harryagain]

Brain dead aren't you?

[Stephen]

Certain sup[ermarkets and haulage firms have been running tests on some converted lorries to:

run on bio-diesel which is made from vegetable oil

and

on LPG (which as I understand it is a blend of propane and butane)

I've seen these lorries in action as I am a warehouse operative.

So perhaps we will see more of these lorry conversions?

[Brian Gaff]

I'd have thought the issues of Diesel engines, particulate etc, should be relatively easy to solve. I'm sure I hear dthat it had been some years back, but I suppose its expansive? Brian

[Tim Streater]

And in what way would this be an improvement?

How does this reduce pollution?

[Andy Burns]

Recent diesels have particulate filters that collect about 90% of the soot while you're tootling around town and burn it off while you're on the motorway, one problem comes with people who never have long fast journeys ... buses all seem to have posters on the back of them claiming what comes out of the exhaust pipe is cleaner than a nun's thoughts.

[Adrian]

The current emission standards have VERY low amounts of particulate emission - Euro 5 capped it at 0.005g/km, one gram per 200km. That needs particulate filters which clog easily in cars only used for short journeys. Euro 6 has the same limit for particulate, but reduces the NOx limit.

Trouble is, it's only the emissions which are _measured_ which are capped, and you never know what's left that's next week's big scare story. Meanwhile, cars are getting ever bigger and heavier for better impact protection, which means they need more moving, which means more (of everything) coming out the exhaust than if they were lighter. Add in the weight of hybrid guff, which - at best - moves the emissions to fossil-fuelled power stations. Etc etc etc...