Fiat Chrysler to reportedly cease diesel car production by 2022
Following declining sales in the wake of VW's emissions scandal, FCA will apparently stop offering passenger cars that fill up at diesel pumps.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is planning to end sales of diesel-powered passenger cars by 2022. That's according to a new report by the Financial Times published on Sunday.
The news comes in the wake of Dieselgate, the emissions-cheating crisis first touched off by Volkswagen in September, 2015. The diesel-engine calamity has since embroiled other manufacturers, including FCA, with lingering accusations of defeat devices and other misdeeds affecting a number of global automakers. The scandal has resulted in lower sales of models with diesel engines in Europe, as well as growing political pressure from a number of countries' governments to end their availability.
According to the report, FCA's planned diesel phase-out will be revealed on June 1 as part of a four-year plan.
Fiat Chrysler's Auburn Hills, MI headquarters.
While diesel passenger car models presently make up around 40 percent of FCA's sales in Europe, here in North America, FCA doesn't actually sell any such models. Vehicles like the Fiat 500X are only offered overseas with diesel engines. In our market, they are exclusively powered by gasoline.
However, FCA has announced plans to offer EcoDiesel engines in some of its forthcoming light-truck models in the US and Canada, including its latest-generation Ram 1500 pickup and Jeep Wrangler. Neither of these truck lines are expected to be affected by this decision.
FCA representatives did not immediately return Roadshow's request for comment.