Panic over for Europe’s diesel makers as Mild-Hybrid technology comes to the rescue

Credit: Automotive News Europe

European auto makers look like riding out the current panic over diesel engine health risks, fighting off a clamour for action by politicians and environmentalists, and despite some worrying projections by investment bankers, as Forbes reports.

New “mild-hybrid” technology will quickly fill the gap left by diesel’s precipitate decline, while a softening attitude from the European Union (E.U.) suggests city bans of this now derided technology might not be as ubiquitous as feared.

Earlier this week Daimler announced it was “voluntarily” recalling more than 3 million Mercedes diesel cars and vans to reduce poisonous nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The recall involves a software patch to emissions cleaning systems which will cost about $255 million.

This is the latest development in a diesel engine saga which has shaken investors’ confidence in European car makers. Diesel sales in Europe are crumbling as environmental activists worry about the health implications of noxious diesel fumes, and the apparent failure of E.U. regulations to bring them under control.

Full report: Panic Over For Europe’s Diesel Makers As Mild-Hybrid Technology Comes To The Rescue | Forbes.com

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