This kicked off with Volkswagen's Dieselgate in 2015, with numerous government probes taking place in Europe and North America over the next five years. Many automakers have since been discouraged from relying on diesel powertrains due to rising regulatory actions. European countries that once championed the fuel as ecologically preferable to gasoline, after the advent of biodiesels, are now obsessed with tamping down NOx emissions and getting more electric vehicles onto the road. Diesel isn't just dying, it has become a liability. Some companies have even stopped selling diesel-powered vehicles in places like the U.S., where demand is mostly limited to HD pickups and vehicles used for hauling freight. This includes Volkswagen and Daimler, both of which could have avoided another layer of huge fines had they simply kept diesels out of the country — since nobody seems willing or able to adhere to emission guidelines. Daimler's U.S. settlement was announced in September after being under review for years.