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Consumers now have a choice between rewarding their pocket and affecting the environment. The decision is theirs. This will shift market demand, as seen in Finland where their government recently implemented the same type of emissions-based registration system. It is predicted that the sales of diesel engines will increase, as petrol-engine sales will drop dramatically. Currently, petrol-engine vehicles account for 80% of all new sales in Ireland, and diesel engines only account for 20%. This is set to change, as diesel takes over and other fuels, such as bio fuel, become available for consumption.
Industry expert, Cyril McHugh, Chief Executive of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry believes, “now that VRT will be based on the CO2 emissions of the car, there will be a renaissance of sales of the diesel engine in Ireland. We can therefore expect to see diesel sales reach up to 50 per cent over the coming years as prices for these often lower-emission vehicles reduce dramatically.” Ireland will become more in line with the rest of Europe as it becomes more reliant on diesel engines. This was not the case beforehand, as the old VRT and Motor Tax system penalised larger engines, making diesel use relatively futile for smaller cars. Now that the system is moving over to an emissions model, Ireland can benefit both ecologically and financially. Diesel engines are more fuel efficient, and therefore cost less to run.
Other engine options may become more popular. Hybrid, flexible fuel and fully electric vehicles offer a cleaner and more efficient use of a cars engine. Though the development of these cars is in its infancy, the possibilities for change are there. Hybrid vehicles combine the use of electric power and fuel, compared with a fully electric engine that doesn’t use fuel at all. Flexible fuel vehicles run on a combination of ethanol and petrol; where the blend includes 80% ethanol. Consumers may start to veer towards these modified machines, as fuel becomes an issue in the future. And as they benefit from VRT relief, there are financial rewards for choosing them too.
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