April 20, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] Volkswagen’s diesel scandal, along with increased public concerns over air pollution, have put the brakes on demand for diesel cars in Korea, like elsewhere in the world.

However, auto experts, who gathered at an international forum in Seoul on Nov. 24 agree that diesel is still the most efficient option for automotive power and has a strong future. 

“The Future of Diesel” forum in Seoul was organized by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, with more than 200 industry personnel in attendance.

“Diesel cars have higher fuel economy, lower CO2 emissions and deliver stronger torque than their gasoline counterparts. Its higher flashpoint makes the car inherently safer as well,” said Bae Choong-sik, professor of mechanical engineering at the KAIST.

“Its shortcomings, such as nitrogen oxide emissions and high noise level, are gradually improving with new research and development, such as deploying high-pressure and multiple-stage fuel injection system.”

He said the Volkswagen scandal has created stigma and misunderstanding on diesel cars among the general public, whereas diesel can be eco-friendly with technology advancements.

“Diesel’s growth possibility is endless. By highlighting diesel’s advantages and reducing its weaknesses, the fuel will still become a major energy source by 2050,” he said.

Patrice Marez, vice president of PSA Group, the French auto manufacturer of Peugeot and Citroen, asserted that diesel vehicles are a major solution to fulfill the CO2 reduction target for automakers, as they produce lower emissions than petrol-powered vehicles.

“Diesel is still competitive, with better fuel economic advantage compared to the best gasoline model, which compensates the higher cost (of the cars),” he said. “Diesel plays a key role to secure CO2 route with an outstanding fun-to-drive behavior with very high low-speed torque.”

Both PSA Group and German auto giant Daimler AG shared their technology development, tackling diesel exhaust and particulates that meet the changing regulations, while maintaining a strong fuel efficiency rate.

According to Masanobu Wada, former managing director of Japan Automobile Importers Association, the VW scandal did not hurt the perception of diesel cars in the country, thanks to the Japanese government and automakers’ efforts to promote clean diesel.

“Only the VW brand was damaged due to the scandal,” he said. “On the other hand, clean diesel vehicles exceeded 20 percent of the total imported vehicles sold in the country for the first time in September this year, doubling from a year earlier.”

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)