The diesel car is being unfairly “demonised” for polluting, according to car makers.
European emission standards that take effect from September will make new diesel engines the “cleanest in history”, the motor industry argues.
Diesel was less heavily taxed than petrol for years because of its lower carbon emissions.
However, it has fallen from favour because of its harmful particulates. Hackney and Islington councils in London have recently introduced diesel surcharges for parking permits.
Mike Hawkes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said it was “a folly to introduce blanket bans”. His organisation has launched a “stop demonising diesel” campaign.
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David Bizley, chief engineer at the RAC, said: “There is evidence that the previous generation of diesel emission standards that have applied to new vehicles purchased since 2006 have not delivered all of the reduction in emissions of nitrogen dioxide. Internationally-agreed tests that the vehicles have to pass have not adequately reflected real-world driving conditions.
“However, it would be wrong to penalise motorists retrospectively for choosing a diesel vehicle when they believed it to be the best choice from an environmental perspective because of its low carbon dioxide emissions.”
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “There is a certain irony that the ‘dash for diesel’ was encouraged by governments in fiscal policy over several years and that now there is this short-sighted ‘demonisation of diesel’.
“Policy makers can’t keep shifting the goal posts without informing consumers. Policy aimed at reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions has favoured diesel over the past 15 years while the reduction of toxic exhaust emissions harmful to health has been addressed through progressively more-stringent European emissions standards.”
The Local Government Association defended councils who want to tackle poor air quality by punishing owners of diesel vehicles. A select committee recently recommended that the government should “encourage a move away from diesel vehicles towards low emission options”.
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A spokesman for the LGA said: “Councils take the issue of reducing harmful emissions extremely seriously and have a duty to take action to try and protect the health of residents.
“There is a real and growing problem with local air quality, especially in big cities such as London, where nitrous oxide and particulates from diesel cars are a major cause of air pollution.
“Introducing a surcharge on resident parking permits is one way councils can encourage residents to choose petrol over diesel, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee. It will always be up to individual councils to decide how best to lower emissions who will be monitoring the success of these schemes.”