BMW wants to forego diesel cars in the USA

BMW feels consequences of diesel scandal

The carmaker BMW does not want to offer cars with diesel engines in 2019. As an alternative, customers shall switch to plug-in hybrids and vehicles with petrol engines. The background is the diesel scandal that has existed for years. This scandal was triggered in the USA in 2015 in connection with the Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer Volkswagen. But the Bavarian car manufacturer is also feeling the consequences. This is why diesel cars shall now disappear from the roads in the USA.

Model X5: Decision still open

There are already agreements for the most models. Only for one model a final decision, whether the diesel variant should also stay away from the USA, is still not made. The still questionable model is supposed to be the SUV X5. This is the result of a report by Automobilwoche.

With the turn of the year, buyers in the USA will no longer receive BMW cars with diesel engines. A BMW spokesman also justified the decision with the fact that sales of diesel vehicles in the USA had declined. The demand for alternative drive systems such as plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, has increased. Classic engines such as gasoline engines are also in demand.

Several car manufacturers currently have no diesel vehicles in their program

However, it remains to be seen whether the diesel will be permanently withdrawn from the US program. Depending on customer needs, the company intends to continue monitoring the market and adapting its models accordingly.
At the moment, several major car brands in North America have also no diesel vehicles in their programs. Examples are Mercedes, VW, Audi and Porsche.

In addition to the X5, BMW also offers the 328d and 540d x-Drive models. In the future, these will be available as gasoline or plug-in hybrid models on the roads in the USA.