Nobody was forced to buy a diesel. Their advantage is the excellent fuel consumption, which is inherent in a diesel and nowt to do with government. With the latest spec kit on, diesels are no more polluting than petrol. I'll continue to drive one. What the current hoo-ha has done, tho', is knock the bottom out of diesel values, because of a somewhat hysterical Govt reaction to recent scandals. Electric's now in, but nobody seems to have given any thought to charging infrastructure or the large amount of power they'll need. But that's governments for you, of whatever flavour.
PS If you've got a VW and want to join the potential class action against VW, few weeks left. Seriously considering signing myself up, not for any moral reasons, but to compensate for loss of resale value. Hate this kind of thing, but VW were asking for it - they just lied and lied...
I used to drive one in the late 80’s. They were fast on the flat, flat on hills, but they sounded good
Ah shame Might be a squeeze to get one of those under the bonnet of an aging volvo…. no excuse for being late to work though
Digressing slightly, but this is well worth a read. Story of the emissions scandal, but also goes back into the history of VW. You won't like them much after reading it, scandal or no. They really were/are the weirdest company, a kind of odd family dynasty with plenty of unenviable connections. Recommended. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Faster-Higher-Farther-Volkswagen-Scandal/dp/039325450X
V8? The vegetable juice stuff? Can you run a diesel on that now? Wonder if it makes your exhaust emissions smell like beetroot?
Yes! Years ago General Motors made an engine that ran entirely on organic brown rice, but kept it secret. Anyone who knows about it has been killed. I read it on the internet
You can get a V16 diesel in a quarry dump truck ...but you would need a carburettor the size of a ten gallon bucket ....petrol in heavies i think not . Diesels don't burst into flames like petrol engines ......Hang on a minute ....why not put a diesel in your bus ,no need for any fire prevention complexities.