Fiat Chrysler to phase out diesels by 2021

Fiat has announced it will phase out diesel by 2021 and invest around £80 billion in electrification.

In the last presentation from Fiat’s CEO Sergio Marchionne before his retirement, shareholders were told that while the company will continue to make diesel-fuelled vans and pick-ups, it will make its last diesel passenger car by 2021.

Its electrification investments will include battery electric vehicles, mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and alternative fuels.

Morten Thaysen, clean air campaigner at Greenpeace UK said: “Diesel is a bad bet. It’s bad for air quality, bad for the climate and ultimately bad for consumers. Fiat Chrysler is the latest car company to realise consumers don’t want diesel and bite the bullet. It’s time VW, the biggest diesel producer in Europe, woke up to the harm diesel has on our health and the climate and committed to end diesel sales too.”

In 2017, Fiat was accused of doctoring test results of diesel emissions in the US.