Growing popularity for diesel vehicles among consumers and manufacturers in South Africa has prompted oil company Shell to roll out its V-Power Diesel fuel across the country.

According to iAfrica.com, diesel is becoming more popular with South African motorists as motor manufacturers are producing increasingly high performance diesel engines.

The website said that the new diesel vehicle market in South Africa has shown a similar growth pattern to that seen in Europe, as it has grown from 15 per cent in 2000 to nearly 21 per cent in 2005.

Shell's new fuel is designed to cater for new, cleaner diesel engines. It releases far fewer sulfur emissions and meets the lowest sulfur specification in South Africa, reducing the emissions by 90 per cent to 50 parts per million.

The fuel will be available in over 100 of the company's largest stations around the country.

Platinum is currently the only metal used in all but a few catalytic converters for diesel engine exhaust.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd