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Diesel is on the way out, but could this year be the one we finally say goodbye to the trusty fuel source of grunty dual-cab utes and rugged four-wheel drives?
The government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard has kicked in, which penalises carmakers $100 for every gram of CO2 they emit over a certain threshold. That threshold lowers every year until the end of the decade.
That’ll make utes and 4WDs in their current state either unaffordable to most or unprofitable for car companies. Low sales or no dollars coming in generally means the end of the line for a vehicle range.
Toyota Australia's Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley told CarsGuide earlier this year the clock was ticking on diesel.
"To be honest, I was talking about the end of diesel way back when before NVES was even a thought," Mr Hanley said.
"I think diesel will be around for a little bit, but we've got synthetic fuels coming, we've got hydrogen coming, we've got BEVs coming.
"You'd think out of all of (the fuel types), it's probably the one at the greatest risk. But we have diesel because it's relatively cheap and capable, and we have infrastructure and we have ICE engines that take it.
"But we're also now finding out that petrol-turbo four cylinder engines aren't bad either. So technology is moving on," he said.
The obvious tech for the next-generation of utes is plug-in hybrid power, which pairs a small petrol engine with electric motors and a battery of decent size.
This will give them low enough emissions to limbo under the emissions threshold but still deliver enough grunt to make them work and play ready.
Toyota’s next HiLux workhorse due in the next 18 months or so, is believed to use plug-in hybrid power.
Ford is bringing its plug-in Ranger ute to Australia next year and BYD has just launched the Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute Down Under.
BYD claims the Shark 6 can be driven up to 100km on pure electric power and drinks 2.0L/100km for a total driving range of 800km. If you have less than 20 per cent battery the engine will drink a claimed 7.9L/100km.
It is also the quickest accelerating ute on sale, zipping from 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds.
Payload is only 750kg and towing capacity is just 2500kg, which will turn off a chunk of buyers.
Ford’s Ranger PHEV can tow the benchmark 3500kg and any petrol-electric models from Toyota or Isuzu will be sure to do what any diesel dual-cab can.
Change is in the air, but whether those winds will blow away diesel this year is no certainty. What is a certain is the fuel is on its last legs, so if you must have a new vehicle with diesel grunt there is no time like the present.
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