Good morning friends. Fuels are quite expensive. Relatively almost 50% or more of the market were using diesel. In some countries fuel is cheaper.
Better fuel efficiency and lesser chances of pollution has led to a rising acceptance of diesel technology in the automotive sector, said Pawan Goenka, president of Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and a top functionary in the Mahindra & Mahindra Group, on Friday.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the 11th Symposium on International Automobile Technology here, Goenka said it has now been proved that vehicles based on diesel technology, though apparently more expensive initially, prove cheaper in the long run.
Even in countries like the US, a large majority of commercial vehicles are now running on diesel and the market is heading for full dieselisation’ of the transport sector, said Goenka. He added that the passenger-vehicles segment is also showing a growing acceptance for diesel technology.
The need to use a high standard fuel injection methodology, use of superior quality materials to build the engines and the need to maintain strict emission norms makes a diesel-engine vehicle more expensive, but the payback comes in terms of nearly 20 per cent greater fuel efficiency, Goenka said. He added that in a country like India, where diesel has been subsidised and costs about 20 per cent less than petrol, the advantage is double.
Goenka also spoke about the latest development in diesel production, saying that the sulphur content in this fuel is reducing drastically and engine technology has also evolved significantly, reducing the need for maintenance.
“Cost of fuel is the key driver of the decision in favor of diesel,” Goenka said, pointing out that in Europe, where fuels are quite expensive, nearly 50 per cent of the market is diesel-driven. In the US or the Middle East, where fuel is cheap, there is a preference for petrol but even this is changing now, he said.
Ref: The Times of India
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