Automobile Club of France says diesel filters better than bans, stickers

The Automobile Club Association of France said on December 8 that the generalized use of diesel filters designed to eliminate harmful emission particles would be “a faster and less costly solution” as it replied to a recent announcement by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo of a ban on diesel cars in the French capital by 2020 and to other top authority comments against diesel engines.

The Automobile Club Association said that emission filters for diesel vehicles will solve pollution problems “in fewer years and at lower costs” compared with other measures like stickers that plan to be implemented to identify diesel cars according to their pollution creation levels.

French “drivers reject any discriminatory measure but are ready to support solutions which are intelligent and pragmatical” the statement added.

Any move in France away from diesel may represent a big change for both car and fuel marketers. Most cars on French roads run on diesel, known in France as “gazole routier”.

Changes appeared inevitable, especially after French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on November 28 that “in France we have long favoured the diesel engine. This was a mistake and we will progressively undo that, intelligently and pragmatically”.  

The government has said it plans to use tax incentives in addition to circulation regulations also as part of changes needed with the ultimate goal of reducing air pollution.

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