Column - Diesel is dead? No way! My diesel is still alive

Of course, if we look at the sale of new cars, the diesel in the Netherlands is indeed on the decline. The market share is now only about 8 percent. Rudolf Diesel's invention is also declining in Belgium, although he still controls a quarter of the passenger car market there. When I look down my street, I see the developments in the car market confirmed in the fleet of the leasing neighbours. Many have switched to petrol cars, a few drive electric.

Due to high annual mileage, another diesel

Still ignorant about the approaching corona disaster, I doubted at the beginning of 2020 whether I would switch to an economical petrol car after 16 years of dieseling. But because of my high annual mileage (almost 40,000) I bought a diesel again for 8,000 euros. Also because an extensive Marketplace research had shown that a spacious and fully equipped station wagon with an (almost) equally powerful petrol engine was much more expensive.

I hardly pay for it every month

With today's COVID-19 wisdom, you may wonder if my choice was really that smart. Fortunately, a quick calculation shows that I hardly spend more on my diesel every month than I would for a comparable petrol car. With regard to fuel, insurance and road tax, with 23,500 km per year it only saves two tens a month. Only a petrol car would have been three to four thousand euros more expensive to purchase. Count out my winnings!

High reliability, high torque, long range

In addition, the excellent reliability, the fat torque and the large range (1000 kilometers) confirm the correctness of my choice almost every day. Also during my (camping) holidays in Southern Europe, where I met a striking number of compatriots with a fresh diesel car, often used as a caravan tractor. The campers involved had nothing to do with three-cylinder petrol engines, let alone electric cars...

Burden of diesel shame? No! Long live the diesel!

Meanwhile, the countless ancient diesels in France, Italy and Spain strengthened the hope that my car will live for at least another ten years. By 2032 I'll buy a used Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y. Whether I don't suffer from diesel shame in the meantime? No, not as long as my car meets the second strictest emission standard, I eat vegetarian three times a week, the wood stoves of my neighbors are smoking heavily and jet fuel is still exempt from excise duty. Long live the diesel!