"....due to falling below the 100g/km emmisions target."

That is not (now) the point. The pollution issue has moved way beyond CO2. Beyond, even, particulates.

Diesels managed (just) to keep up with the lower emissions of petrol engines in respect of CO2, then particulates, but at the cost of complex exhaust systems.

Now they could be screwed, because NOx is seen as the problem, and diesels produce a relatively large amount of it.

This is controlled by EGR techniques in both petrol and diesel engines, but this has proved inadequate in the latter. Ironically, EGR tends to result in increased particulate production in diesels.

Diesel exhaust, as it stands, has been identified as "probably carcinogenic".

Things have moved a long way since I drove my beloved diesel Peugeot 306 HDi, which had a catalytic converter in the exhaust system and nothing else. What a lovely engine - economical, cheap to maintain and fun to drive! The first diesel car I had and the last.

ery interesting that the target is on diesels and yet cars such as Skoda's Octavia Greenline are in the lowest VED band so you don't pay any road tax and they were also exempt from the London congestion charge due to falling below the 100g/km emmisions target.

Surely this is the Reason the EU are imposing the fine the VED favour diesels when it should not. please note the ruling was based on NO2 and not CO2.

The currently Euro 6 standard means that diesel emisions are the same as petrols with the exception of CO2 where a petrol engine is allowed more, but point being both meet the Euro 6 standard and therefore should be taxed the same

yes because there is a complete disregard to the needs of people that live in relatively remote rural areas where there is no alternative to a combustion engined motor car.

Probably for the best in terms of cars in towns and cities - hopefully there will be some wasy of allowing country people, and particularly the farming community, to be allowed diesel cars without any penalty, so they can continue their much needed (for everyone) careers.

What a shame that the Labour Government (at the behest of Gordon Brown, possibly with a certain Mr. Milliband and Mr. Balls whispering in his ear at the time) didn't read ALL the scientific reports on diesel engines when they introduced the vehicles tax changes to be CO2-based, when scientific reports of the harmful effects of NO2 and particulates generally had been available since the mid 90s.

IMO the next 'big thing' (a bit too early in my view for commercially-viable fuel cell vehicles yet - maybe in 10-20 years time) in car technology will be the development of longer-lasting, smaller and less environmentally-unfriendly batteries and other electricity storage media. Toyota led the way for a long time, but now everyone else (Tesla, BMW i8/McLaren/Porsche) is beginning to catch up now that the technology is becoming more mature.

In a way, I'm glad that F1 has 'gone green' (and the development of the foruma e as well), as quite a lot of that technology eventually ends up in normal road cars.

for diesels, the latest technology to improve emissions needs to be stand the test of time before any decision can be made

Looking at it's previous record... :-/

Back on topic, I do agree with the OP that is could be a good time to get rid of the diesel as you will want to be ahead of the crowd.

With a heavy heart, I'm going to look at getting rid of my diesel berlingo multispace, I don't want to be lumbered in 2 or 3 months time when the masses knee jerk to an inevitable political statement that diesel taxes are going up.

Better to be front of the queue now and get a petrol as no doubt petrol values are likely to rise.

1) The country will not vote UKIP next week.

2) We are not under an 'EU jackboot'

3) EU policies are not mad.

Keep taking the medication sir, and remember, the BBC is your friend......

what will the likes of VW and Hyundai do now they only sell the Passat and i40 with a diesel engine in the UK?

I don't think the current i40/Optima have never been sold in petrol form in the UK, have they?

It always put me off looking at them even though I like the Kia's styling.

VW are taking a short-sighted view in my opinion although I appreciate that the fleet market rules everything motoring here unfortunately.

I agree,

the Optima is the best looking saloon on the market, but as it doesnt come in a petrol I didnt even consider it.

They did sell a handful of i40 1.6 petrols, but they are very rare and they no longer do a petrol option.