It was supposed to be 2012, but it looks like we won’t be getting Euro 4 or Euro 5 grade diesel next year after all. This is because the government has given petroleum companies a two-year extension to the original deadline to offer better quality fuel. They now have until 2014 to roll out Euro 4 fuel.
This was revealed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, who said that the oil companies requested for a later date, claiming that they weren’t ready to upgrade. “The industry has, however requested for an extension, saying that it was not ready to make the change.
“Although the government has agreed to the extension, the delay is ultimately hindering the progress of diesel usage in the country. In Europe, about 70% of new vehicles run on the higher grades of diesel,” Kong added, reminding us of what we’re missing out.
So it looks like Malaysia will continue to remain as a laggard in fuel quality, even as our neighbours and supposedly less sophisticated markets like India and China move up to better stuff. As the world moves on, it will become even harder and not worthwhile for manufacturers to “custom make” and dumb down engines to suit our Euro 2M pumps. Sad news, for both car enthusiasts and the environment.
Learn more about fuel standards in our previous post here.
