DIESEL: Car with diesel engine has never been more expensive
Car with diesel engine
Are any cars at all still delivered in the Netherlands with a diesel engine? Well, actually, yes. Incidentally, it does vary by segment, but the price lists of various models still include several engines that run on diesel. In this article, we list the differences of an Opel Mokka, Volkswagen Golf and BMW 3 Series with gasoline and diesel engines.
Diesel versus gasoline
After all, what do you actually pay for a diesel compared to a gasoline engine version? We look at the purchase price, fuel tank capacity, fuel cost for a full tank and road tax (MRB) per month.
Average Country Recommended Fuel Price
We use for this article the Average National Advisory Price (GLA) for gasoline and diesel as it was on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. This price is set based on the recommended prices of the five largest oil companies in the Netherlands: BP, Esso, Shell, Texaco and TotalEnergies. For diesel it is 2.207 euros per liter on this date and for E10 (euro95) gasoline it is 2.171 euros per liter.
MRB rate North Holland
For MRB rates, we keep those of North Holland province. Of course, anyone can make their own calculation of gasoline versus diesel via the Tax Office’s MRB tool. Simply choose the province where you live and the weight class and the calculation tool does the rest.
Opel Mokka – diesel versus gasoline
| OPEL MOKKA 1.5 CDTI | |
| FROM PRICE: | 32,749 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 1,195 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 41 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 90.49 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 103 euros |
| OPEL MOKKA 1.2 TURBO | |
| FROM: | 30,499 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 1,170 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 44 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 95.52 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 47.33 euros |
Volkswagen Golf – diesel versus gasoline
| VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 2.0 TDI | |
| FROM PRICE: | 40,290 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 1,378 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 45 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 99.32 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 126.67 euros |
| VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1.0 TSI | |
| FROM PRICE: | 33,440 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 1,257 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 45 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 97.70 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 54.67 euros |
BMW 3 Series – diesel versus gasoline
| BMW 3 SERIES – 316D | |
| FROM PRICE: | 54,429 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 1,705 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 40 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 88.28 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 162.33 euros |
| BMW 3 Series – 318i | |
| FROM PRICE: | 53,914 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 1,635 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 59 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 128 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 76.66 euros |
BONUS: BMW X7 – diesel versus gasoline
| BMW X7 xDrive40d | |
| FROM PRICE: | 144,545 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 2,565 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 80 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 176.56 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 269.67 euros |
| BMW X7 xDrive40i | |
| FROM PRICE: | 137,626 euros |
| WEIGHT: | 2,490 kilograms |
| FUEL TANK: | 83 liters |
| TANKING COSTS: | 180.19 euros |
| MRB PER MONTH: | 143,33 |
What stands out?
In terms of refueling, gasoline and diesel are not much different at the moment. The big difference is in the road tax. If we compare the gasoline version of the BMW 3 Series with the diesel version, we are talking about a difference of 85.67 euros per month. This makes the gasoline version 1,028.04 euros cheaper in annual road tax. With the Opel Mokka, you pay 668 euros less in road tax per year for the gasoline version. In the case of the Volkswagen Golf, it is 864 euros. What about the BMW X7? The diesel there costs a total of 3,236 euros in annual road tax. That’s 1,516 euros more compared to the gasoline-powered X7.
“For a BMW X7 xDrive40d, you pay 3,236 euros in road tax on an annual basis.”
Diesel still large share of commercial vehicle market
Diesel still has a fairly large share of the commercial vehicle market, but that segment is also under pressure. Not only because of the high cost of diesel, but also in view of the BPM requirement that comes into effect from Jan. 1, 2025. The government wants to abolish the BPM exemption for an entrepreneur’s van (entrepreneur’s exemption). The goal is to encourage sales of zero-emission or very fuel-efficient vans. Commercial vehicle manufacturers expect this measure to create a run on commercial vehicles in 2023 and 2024. The question is whether diesel engines will still be chosen then or whether companies will switch to battery-electric early on.
Diesel cleaner than gasoline?
One thing is certain: diesel is becoming less interesting in the Netherlands by the day, while technology has made great strides compared to years ago. Some diesel engines are even cleaner than gasoline engines, but since the choice has been made in the Netherlands to “write off” diesel at an accelerated rate, no one hears about it anymore. Diesel is simply doomed. Unfortunately, the latest convulsions of this fuel are spicy in every way.