Fiat Chrysler to Phase out Diesel Vehicles by 2022

Fiat Chrysler might be sitting out the electric race, but they are taking concrete steps to wean off fossil fuels – even if their motivation is selfish.

CNET Roadshow pointed out that “Dieselgate” – an emissions testing scandal from several years ago – has marred diesel sales in Europe. And while Volkswagen was the primary culprit in 2015, diesel cars make up 40% of FCA’s sales in Europe, so everyone’s feeling the collateral effects.

As a result, FCA plans to announce its four-year phase out strategy for diesel vehicles on June 1.

Just don’t expect a full green makeover – earlier this year, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne claimed that electric cars aren’t profitable or worth serious investment.

“I don’t know of a (business) that is making money selling electric vehicles unless you are selling them at the very, very high end of the spectrum,” Marchionne said at the Detroit Auto Show.

“These proclamations that we hear about the advent of electrification and artificial intelligence and the inevitable association of artificial intelligence with electrification are all things which at best are conjecture. So making an announcement … that we’re going to have X-number of vehicles that are electrified in the future ... is that a wise economic thing to say? The answer is probably ‘no,’” he said.

While FCA is phasing out diesel vehicles, they are still planning to offer light-truck models with EcoDiesel engines in the US and Canada.

Read more here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/msn/fiat-chrysler-to-reportedly-cease-diesel-car-production-by-2022/ar-BBJC7ht