In Brazil there are no passenger cars with diesel engines because there is a law that prohibits the sale of this type of vehicle with this configuration. MIC ordinance no. 346, of November 19, 1976, prohibits the sale of diesel-powered passenger vehicles.
To understand the real reasons, we need to go back to the 70s. The issue is simpler than it seems.
Political and economic scenario
Between 1973 and 1975 there was an oil crisis and the emergence of the Pro-Alcohol Law.
At that time, Brazil was commanded by the military and in November 1975, through decree No. 76.593, the National Alcohol Program (Proálcool) emerged. This decision came from the government when the intention was to encourage the production of alcohol to replace pure gasoline. The objective was to reduce oil imports, which at that time had a very high value and compromised a large part of the external trade balance.
It was then that at the time the only vehicles allowed to have a diesel engine were cargo transport and public passenger transport vehicles, making it impossible for small diesel cars to be sold in Brazil.
Thus, the military government was able to guarantee that the diesel purchased would be sufficient for these vehicles, also avoiding a possible problem that could be a lack of fuel in the country, if all cars could have a diesel engine.
Authorized vehicles
Today, the law restricting the circulation of small diesel cars in Brazil remains in effect. The difference is that today the regulation is established through Ordinance No. 23 of the National Department of Fuels , which replaced Law No. 346 of November 19, 1976.
The only vehicles that can receive diesel engines are trucks, buses and pickup trucks with a load capacity of more than 1 ton; Vehicles with reduced traction or very short first gear, as is the case with the Jeep Renegade and Compass.
Bill of Law
It is not new that attempts are being made to reverse this veto in Brazil. For many years, one of the strongest arguments for maintaining the decision not to allow small diesel cars was the environmental justification, since in the past diesel emitted a lot of particulate matter that was harmful to human health.
Since January 2013, Diesel S10 has arrived on the national market, which is cleaner and less harmful to health. S10 has a low sulfur content in its composition, and this chemical element is mainly responsible for the emission of particulate matter.
Legislative Decree Project (SF) No. 84 of 2015 attempted to overturn the veto that prevents the use of passenger vehicles powered by diesel oil. However, this bill was shelved in January 2019.
Benefits of Diesel
With the evolution of the Diesel engine, today it is less polluting, more resistant, has a longer useful life than a gasoline engine of the same size and also uses a fuel that is cheaper than that used on a large scale in Brazil, alcohol and gasoline.
All these changes mean that the driver has less expenses with maintenance and parts.
In fact, vehicles sold with a diesel engine tend to have a higher price when purchasing, but these savings are evident over time in maintenance and fuel consumption.
Diesel vehicles show a significant improvement in performance and fuel economy after undergoing a remap (electronic fuel injection reprogramming) . Can you guess which pickup trucks experience the greatest performance gains after electronic fuel injection reprogramming? Which pickup trucks have had the most remaps performed? Click here to see the article where we discuss this topic.
