---
title: "Is Diesel On The Way Out In Europe?"
description: "Tougher testing procedures and stiffer penalties could spell the end for diesel fuel in EU countries."
date: "2017-04-04"
modified: "2017-04-04"
authors:
  - name: "Kyle Cheromcha"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/8937/is-diesel-on-the-way-out-in-europe"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Diesel"
  - "emissions"
  - "Emissions Cheating"
  - "europe"
  - "regulations"
---

# Is Diesel On The Way Out In Europe?

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/04/gettyimages-501302982.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

If the [sudden electrification push](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/8745/mercedes-benz-invests-11-billion-in-ev-development>) among European manufacturers sped up the inevitable decline of diesel engines, then the ongoing emissions-related scandals and investigations seem to be driving a stake through the heart of the controversial fuel—*Reuters* reports today that [EU lawmakers have approved](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-emissions-eu-idUSKBN17612P>) the framework for regulations aimed at tightening the bloc's testing procedures and giving it the ability to fine automakers 30,000 euros per car over the kind of violations that saw Volkswagen agree to pay billions in penalties to the United States. To put that in perspective, if the law were in place when VW's scandal was uncovered in 2015, the automaker would have been charged a staggering $271 billion over the 8.5 million overpolluting cars on the road in Europe today.

The law would also stop automakers from paying private agencies to test their cars in a patchwork certification process, instead calling for the creation of state-run test centers possibly funded by additional taxes on car manufacturers. So not only is it clear that European legislators are aiming to prevent manufacturers from repeating VW's ([and possibly Fiat-Chrysler's](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/8857/report-germany-finds-emissions-defeat-device-in-fiat>)) mistakes, they're also trying to make diesel more trouble than it's worth to companies.

"Diesel will not disappear from one day to another," European Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said today, according to Reuters. "But after this year of work ... I am quite sure they will disappear much faster than we can imagine."

Of course, none of this is happening in a vacuum. [Diesels currently account](<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-03/europe-s-diesel-decay-set-to-accelerate-in-vw-cheating-fallout>) for about half of all new car sales in Europe, and there are extensive supply and logistical chains employing many thousands of people to support all that demand. There are sure to be some growing pains as an entire continental industry moves away from an energy source that defined it for so long.

But it also comes as anti-diesel sentiments are beginning to gain momentum in other arenas. [Several major citie](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/6305/four-major-cities-to-ban-diesel-cars-and-trucks-by-2025>)s are all working towards banning diesel-powered cars completely in the next ten years over emissions concerns, and the British are trying to straight-up [tax them out of existence](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/8897/british-diesel-owners-could-face-25-toll-to-enter-cities>) amid a [mounting public health campaign.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/7692/british-doctors-beg-prime-minister-to-phase-out-diesel-asap>)

## Author
Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/kylecheromcha.bsky.social>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/kylecheromcha>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-cheromcha-1550248a/>)