Diesel Engines news **Sales on Rise in US (page 1)**
#42
The burn out in the test against the Prius was pretty impressive.
http://tdi.vw.com/eco-conscious-car-showdown/
http://tdi.vw.com/eco-conscious-car-showdown/
#43
You'll Never Walk Alone
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,522
Likes: 846
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
hehe, I had my intake resonator removed. I find that getting an aftermarket exhaust doesn't really too much of a difference, I mean it's much louder outside than inside the car, which I don't really like.
#44
Vw
Volkswagen of America today reported June 2009 sales of 19,027 units, an 18 percent decline over June 2008 sales. Volkswagen said that its clean diesel models posted their best sales month since their launch with a total of 5,072 units sold, or 26 percent of total sales.
The Jetta SportWagen posted its best sales month ever with 1,982 units. Clean diesel sales accounted for 81 percent of Sportwagen sales, 40 percent of Jetta sedan sales and 29 percent of Touareg sales.
“Volkswagen of America is encouraged by the momentum of our clean diesel TDI sales,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “It appears that U.S. consumers are starting to realize the many benefits of today’s clean diesels–vehicles that attain more than 30 percent better fuel economy while emitting 25 percent less greenhouse gas emission, all without sacrificing driving dynamics.”
The Jetta SportWagen posted its best sales month ever with 1,982 units. Clean diesel sales accounted for 81 percent of Sportwagen sales, 40 percent of Jetta sedan sales and 29 percent of Touareg sales.
“Volkswagen of America is encouraged by the momentum of our clean diesel TDI sales,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “It appears that U.S. consumers are starting to realize the many benefits of today’s clean diesels–vehicles that attain more than 30 percent better fuel economy while emitting 25 percent less greenhouse gas emission, all without sacrificing driving dynamics.”
#46
Too bad they made a big mistake by doing that. Once again, they'll be late to the game if they do ever bring it here. They'll probably time it just right so that diesel fuel will be the same price or higher than premium gas again.
#47
Now VW is successfully running an ad blitz and is selling plenty of its efficient Jetta TDIs, and Acura is releasing a piggish V6 just in time for rising gas prices. Nice work guys -- you sure nailed that one!
I totally understand the need for an engine like a V6 for customers who so desire, but why scrap the diesel? Give us 3 options! Base I4 for a low cost entry point, efficient and high torque diesel for fuel consumption, and V6 for power luxury shoppers. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: I would probably already own a TSX if the diesel were available.
#49
#50
You'll Never Walk Alone
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,522
Likes: 846
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
I thought the TSX auto didn't pass the emission test? That's why it's not coming? I don't know man, I don't think Honda is that good with diesel yet. If they bring it here, I can already how people would be saying, "they are late to the diesel game, and still the diesel engine is weak and not competitive. Once again Honda FAILED, as always. Great job Honda, you have just spent billions of dollars to bring POS over and what now? Honda is gonna charge $3k more than a base TSX for the diesel? I can get a Jetta for so and so cheaper, at least VW knows how to make diesel."
#51
There is nothing wrong in alteast trying to market alternative technologies. THere is tax credit for diesel car. Its much better to have $35K diesel TSX than $30K Prius or $40K HS-250h. Honda can never compete with Toyota in Hybrids or higher priced cars. (Those costing upper $40K).
Insight already turn into POS in less than two months.
Insight already turn into POS in less than two months.
#52
Once again, it's about face again.
Honda wants to do things it's own way. Almost every diesel car makers nowadays are using urea injection to neutralize emissions so as to pass the stringent US smog regulations.
But Honda doesn't want to follow them, and instead it resorts to use exotic metal catalyst to do the same job. However, this catalyst approach is only good enough for the European countries, but not good enough for the US regulations.
As a result, no diesel engines for the US market, only for the EU markets.
Honda wants to do things it's own way. Almost every diesel car makers nowadays are using urea injection to neutralize emissions so as to pass the stringent US smog regulations.
But Honda doesn't want to follow them, and instead it resorts to use exotic metal catalyst to do the same job. However, this catalyst approach is only good enough for the European countries, but not good enough for the US regulations.
As a result, no diesel engines for the US market, only for the EU markets.
#53
VW diesel dont use urea. it is the V6 diesel that are problem for now.
Even in Canada it is gaining acceptance.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/mar...th-1416940012/
Volkswagen Canada has its Third Best Month Ever
Leading the increase in passenger car sales is the increasing consumer acceptance of Volkswagen's TDI Clean Diesel technology propelling an increase in new Jetta sales by 144.1% during June. TDI Clean Diesel sales comprised almost a quarter of Volkswagen vehicle sales for the month
Even in Canada it is gaining acceptance.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/mar...th-1416940012/
Volkswagen Canada has its Third Best Month Ever
Leading the increase in passenger car sales is the increasing consumer acceptance of Volkswagen's TDI Clean Diesel technology propelling an increase in new Jetta sales by 144.1% during June. TDI Clean Diesel sales comprised almost a quarter of Volkswagen vehicle sales for the month
#55
Once again, it's about face again.
Honda wants to do things it's own way. Almost every diesel car makers nowadays are using urea injection to neutralize emissions so as to pass the stringent US smog regulations.
But Honda doesn't want to follow them, and instead it resorts to use exotic metal catalyst to do the same job. However, this catalyst approach is only good enough for the European countries, but not good enough for the US regulations.
As a result, no diesel engines for the US market, only for the EU markets.
Honda wants to do things it's own way. Almost every diesel car makers nowadays are using urea injection to neutralize emissions so as to pass the stringent US smog regulations.
But Honda doesn't want to follow them, and instead it resorts to use exotic metal catalyst to do the same job. However, this catalyst approach is only good enough for the European countries, but not good enough for the US regulations.
As a result, no diesel engines for the US market, only for the EU markets.
Non-urea injection is not the reason why Honda is not going diesel.....because clearly it can and already is being accomplished.
#56
#57
Actually I don't think that was the last set of info about diesel. After that news hit, we saw info saying it was related to business conditions, not technical hurdles. I think it was raw materials prices, plus diesel prices and their perception that us consumers lack interest in diesel. There was some indication that a diesel could be quickly brought to the US if they decide to, but its unclear what it will take for that to happen.
#58
Actually I don't think that was the last set of info about diesel. After that news hit, we saw info saying it was related to business conditions, not technical hurdles. I think it was raw materials prices, plus diesel prices and their perception that us consumers lack interest in diesel. There was some indication that a diesel could be quickly brought to the US if they decide to, but its unclear what it will take for that to happen.
As far as I remember, they initially used it not passing emissions as an excuse. It was later said that it was canceled due to business decisions. I honestly do not believe for a second that they couldn't get it to pass emissions.
#63
I'll take diesel over hybrid any day.
Most of the driving in the U.S. in highway, and even though it's quite congested now, most of the miles are still eaten up by highways. Diesel is much better than hybrid for this.
Plus, you don't need a battery, and get nice torque.
The price of diesel is going to be the biggest hurdle, due to its instability.
A vehicle like the BMW 123d would have been a perfect commute car.
Most of the driving in the U.S. in highway, and even though it's quite congested now, most of the miles are still eaten up by highways. Diesel is much better than hybrid for this.
Plus, you don't need a battery, and get nice torque.
The price of diesel is going to be the biggest hurdle, due to its instability.
A vehicle like the BMW 123d would have been a perfect commute car.
#64
Seems like many people buy the hybrids for the holy status.
I'll take diesel over hybrid any day.
Most of the driving in the U.S. in highway, and even though it's quite congested now, most of the miles are still eaten up by highways. Diesel is much better than hybrid for this.
Plus, you don't need a battery, and get nice torque.
The price of diesel is going to be the biggest hurdle, due to its instability.
A vehicle like the BMW 123d would have been a perfect commute car.
Most of the driving in the U.S. in highway, and even though it's quite congested now, most of the miles are still eaten up by highways. Diesel is much better than hybrid for this.
Plus, you don't need a battery, and get nice torque.
The price of diesel is going to be the biggest hurdle, due to its instability.
A vehicle like the BMW 123d would have been a perfect commute car.
#65
#66
http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=1767621&p=1
In many European markets, the regulatory focus on carbon dioxide rather than nitrogen oxide emissions has made diesel-engine cars popular while sidelining gas-electric hybrids, placing diesel powerhouses such as Volkswagen, Peugeot and Renault in pole position.
Honda had planned to launch clean-diesel cars this year but delayed the plans partly due to the difficulty of lowering costs.
Honda will also eventually need a different hybrid system because the current version, mounted on the hot-selling new Insight hatchback, has just one electric motor that would be insufficient for a much larger car
"We had originally planned to use clean-diesel engines on bigger models such as the Accord, CR-V and MDX, so we'll have to come up with something," Fukui said, noting that Honda was working on a two-motor system, among others
#67
The likes of Al Gore and Co want to eliminate the internal combustion engine and have everyone driving plug-in hybrids. The large scale adoption of diesels (like in Europe) would have put a huge dent into that plan and hence the current state of affairs.
#68
PayBack
July 29, 2009
With gasoline and diesel fuel prices staying low -- and uncharacteristically consistent -- as the summer progresses, data analysts at Edmunds.com, parent of AutoObserver, did a recent crunch of the often-discussed payback times for the nation's two competing fuel-saving drivetrains: hybrid-electric and diesel-engine vehicles.
The latest round goes to diesel.
There are two factors currently working in diesel's favor. First, diesel fuel prices have dropped precipitously since last summer's explosion to $4 per gallon (and beyond) and normalized to pricing quite near regular unleaded gasoline.
Second, the price "premium" for diesel technologies is low -- and in a few cases, combines with federal tax credits to make the diesel-powered vehicle actually cheaper than a comparable gasoline-engine variant of the same model. For those vehicles, diesel engine payback time is immediate.
Gasoline Price Low, Hybrids Lose
Conversely, Edmunds.com analysts point out that as gasoline prices stay low, hybrids struggle to justify their typically higher initial-cost premium.
The average premium for all hybrids is $4,981, with premiums ranging from just a few hundred dollars (Toyota Camry Hybrid: $289) to big-bucks upcharges such as the GMC Sierra Hybrid ($7,493) and perhaps the ultimate hybrid, the Lexus LS 600h L ($15,969) from Toyota's upscale division.
The average diesel engine premium, meanwhile, currently is just $2,360.
The cost premium for both technologies is derived by including all available incentives and tax credits and uses Edmunds.com's proprietary True Market Value (TMV) to determine each vehicle's "real-world" cost, which often is less than its actual MSRP.
Hybrids: Still a Costly Choice
Using current gasoline and diesel-fuel prices -- $2.53 per gallon for gasoline and $2.54 for diesel - hybrids can't touch the payback times for diesel-powered models.
Using a 15,000-mile annual driving figure, the lowest hybrid payback time is slightly more than six months for the Camry Hybrid. The Lexus RX 450h, one of the market's most popular hybrids, requires six years' worth of 15,000-mile-per-year driving to pay back its $2,792 premium.
But most hybrid models take longer to recoup their initial extra cost at today's gasoline prices. One typical example is Ford Motor Co.'s 2010 Fusion Hybrid: its $4,175 premium over a conventional Fusion requires 8.1 years to achieve payback, say Edmunds.com data analysts. A Honda Civic Hybrid:13.3 years.
The longest hybrid payback time: the already mentioned Lexus LS 600h L -- 70.3 years at current gasoline prices. 2010 Toyota Prius Red - 240.JPG
And one intriguing "special" comparison comes between Toyota's redesigned 2010 Prius and Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s all-new Insight. Consumers and hybrid enthusiasts have argued about each car's "value" compared with the other, but judged strictly by their price in relation to their EPA fuel economy, the Prius costs $4,030 more than the Insight and would require 26.2 years of driving to recover its "premium" over the price of the Insight.
Diesel Payback: Can't Touch This
Thanks mostly to markedly lower cost premiums and the widespread availability of tax rebates, diesels currently are a much better payback proposition. Current market conditions also mean many diesels are selling for less than MSRP.
The best deals in diesel (with one exception) are in the Mercedes-Benz showroom: generous tax credits have diesel-powered variants of the GL- and R-Class currently with True Market Value figures less than their gasoline-engine counterparts.
A diesel-powered 2009 GL320 CDI is a giant $2,745 less than the GL450 (which uses a gasoline V8), leading to a payback immediately upon purchase of the diesel model.
The same is true for the 2009 R320 Bluetec, which ends up costing $136 less than the gasoline V6-motivated R350. And Mercedes' 2009 ML320 Bluetec also is a fine deal in relation to its gasoline-engine counterpart, with a premium of $508 that is paid back in just 1.4 years of 15,000-mile-per-year driving.
Other diesel payback times include Volkswagen's popular Jetta TDI, at 4.1 years to pay back its $1,760 premium; BMW's 335d, at 5.6 years to pay back a $2,558 premium; and BMW's X5 xDrive 35d at 4.6 years to pay back its $1,732 premium.
The longest diesel payback time is for a Mercedes, however. Because of large incentives to clear out gasoline variants of the now-superceded 2009 E-Class - incentives the diesel variant didn't require - it would take 20.6 years to pay back the 2009 E320 Bluetec's diesel premium. -- By Bill Visnic
1 - Diesel-powered vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz's GL320 CDI represent a great deal at the moment because diesel pays back at the moment of purchase. (Photo by Mercedes-Benz)
2 - The longest hybrid payback time is for the Lexus 600h L at 70.3 years at current gasoline prices. (Photo by Toyota)
3. In the much-argued measure of which hybrid delivers more efficiency in relation to its cost, Honda's new Insight hybrid whips up on its chief rival, the Toyota Prius. It would take 26-plus years of driving to negate the Prius' higher price...
With gasoline and diesel fuel prices staying low -- and uncharacteristically consistent -- as the summer progresses, data analysts at Edmunds.com, parent of AutoObserver, did a recent crunch of the often-discussed payback times for the nation's two competing fuel-saving drivetrains: hybrid-electric and diesel-engine vehicles.
The latest round goes to diesel.
There are two factors currently working in diesel's favor. First, diesel fuel prices have dropped precipitously since last summer's explosion to $4 per gallon (and beyond) and normalized to pricing quite near regular unleaded gasoline.
Second, the price "premium" for diesel technologies is low -- and in a few cases, combines with federal tax credits to make the diesel-powered vehicle actually cheaper than a comparable gasoline-engine variant of the same model. For those vehicles, diesel engine payback time is immediate.
Gasoline Price Low, Hybrids Lose
Conversely, Edmunds.com analysts point out that as gasoline prices stay low, hybrids struggle to justify their typically higher initial-cost premium.
The average premium for all hybrids is $4,981, with premiums ranging from just a few hundred dollars (Toyota Camry Hybrid: $289) to big-bucks upcharges such as the GMC Sierra Hybrid ($7,493) and perhaps the ultimate hybrid, the Lexus LS 600h L ($15,969) from Toyota's upscale division.
The average diesel engine premium, meanwhile, currently is just $2,360.
The cost premium for both technologies is derived by including all available incentives and tax credits and uses Edmunds.com's proprietary True Market Value (TMV) to determine each vehicle's "real-world" cost, which often is less than its actual MSRP.
Hybrids: Still a Costly Choice
Using current gasoline and diesel-fuel prices -- $2.53 per gallon for gasoline and $2.54 for diesel - hybrids can't touch the payback times for diesel-powered models.
Using a 15,000-mile annual driving figure, the lowest hybrid payback time is slightly more than six months for the Camry Hybrid. The Lexus RX 450h, one of the market's most popular hybrids, requires six years' worth of 15,000-mile-per-year driving to pay back its $2,792 premium.
But most hybrid models take longer to recoup their initial extra cost at today's gasoline prices. One typical example is Ford Motor Co.'s 2010 Fusion Hybrid: its $4,175 premium over a conventional Fusion requires 8.1 years to achieve payback, say Edmunds.com data analysts. A Honda Civic Hybrid:13.3 years.
The longest hybrid payback time: the already mentioned Lexus LS 600h L -- 70.3 years at current gasoline prices. 2010 Toyota Prius Red - 240.JPG
And one intriguing "special" comparison comes between Toyota's redesigned 2010 Prius and Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s all-new Insight. Consumers and hybrid enthusiasts have argued about each car's "value" compared with the other, but judged strictly by their price in relation to their EPA fuel economy, the Prius costs $4,030 more than the Insight and would require 26.2 years of driving to recover its "premium" over the price of the Insight.
Diesel Payback: Can't Touch This
Thanks mostly to markedly lower cost premiums and the widespread availability of tax rebates, diesels currently are a much better payback proposition. Current market conditions also mean many diesels are selling for less than MSRP.
The best deals in diesel (with one exception) are in the Mercedes-Benz showroom: generous tax credits have diesel-powered variants of the GL- and R-Class currently with True Market Value figures less than their gasoline-engine counterparts.
A diesel-powered 2009 GL320 CDI is a giant $2,745 less than the GL450 (which uses a gasoline V8), leading to a payback immediately upon purchase of the diesel model.
The same is true for the 2009 R320 Bluetec, which ends up costing $136 less than the gasoline V6-motivated R350. And Mercedes' 2009 ML320 Bluetec also is a fine deal in relation to its gasoline-engine counterpart, with a premium of $508 that is paid back in just 1.4 years of 15,000-mile-per-year driving.
Other diesel payback times include Volkswagen's popular Jetta TDI, at 4.1 years to pay back its $1,760 premium; BMW's 335d, at 5.6 years to pay back a $2,558 premium; and BMW's X5 xDrive 35d at 4.6 years to pay back its $1,732 premium.
The longest diesel payback time is for a Mercedes, however. Because of large incentives to clear out gasoline variants of the now-superceded 2009 E-Class - incentives the diesel variant didn't require - it would take 20.6 years to pay back the 2009 E320 Bluetec's diesel premium. -- By Bill Visnic
1 - Diesel-powered vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz's GL320 CDI represent a great deal at the moment because diesel pays back at the moment of purchase. (Photo by Mercedes-Benz)
2 - The longest hybrid payback time is for the Lexus 600h L at 70.3 years at current gasoline prices. (Photo by Toyota)
3. In the much-argued measure of which hybrid delivers more efficiency in relation to its cost, Honda's new Insight hybrid whips up on its chief rival, the Toyota Prius. It would take 26-plus years of driving to negate the Prius' higher price...
#69
The average diesel engine premium, meanwhile, currently is just $2,360.
#70
^^ VW can't keep the TDI Jetta on the lot...they are going out the door like mad.
Hopefully other makers will take note, and follow VW's lead and provide more clean diesel to the NA market.
Hopefully other makers will take note, and follow VW's lead and provide more clean diesel to the NA market.
#71
I think comparing hybrids and diesels solely on the basis of payback is kind of silly... You have to look at the whole car, the entire package, and even people who are attracted to Priuses or TDIs are not usually looking at JUST higher fuel economy. A Prius is a completely different car than a Jetta, you might like one but hate the other. One is blatantely high tech, futuristic and full of gadgets, the other is conservative and looks and feels like a regular car. Some people don't care about dealing with diesel fuel, others might be put off. Reducing the whole decision to "which one costs less in the end" and passing the more expensive choice as "illogical" doesn't make sense, any more than it makes sense to saying "every logical person should buy car X instead of car Y because it costs less".
#73
I think comparing hybrids and diesels solely on the basis of payback is kind of silly...
#74
http://content.usatoday.com/communit...lectric-cars/1
If you think electric cars will save the day when it comes to automakers meeting new government fuel-mileage regulations, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne begs to differ.
He says the big improvements will come in more efficient diesel and gasoline engines. The Associated Press reports from Traverse City, Mich., where Marchionne gave a speech, that electric vehicles are being overhyped.
Guys like Marchionne are spending a lot of time thinking about such issues right now. They are trying figure out how to cope with the 54.5 mile-per-gallon corporate average fuel economy standard announced last Friday. It slowly goes into effect leading up to 2025. It's bad enough that Marchionne has to figure out how to get Chrysler to 35.5 mpg by 2016 when divisions like Dodge are rooted in advertising their big American performance vehicles.
He says the big improvements will come in more efficient diesel and gasoline engines. The Associated Press reports from Traverse City, Mich., where Marchionne gave a speech, that electric vehicles are being overhyped.
Guys like Marchionne are spending a lot of time thinking about such issues right now. They are trying figure out how to cope with the 54.5 mile-per-gallon corporate average fuel economy standard announced last Friday. It slowly goes into effect leading up to 2025. It's bad enough that Marchionne has to figure out how to get Chrysler to 35.5 mpg by 2016 when divisions like Dodge are rooted in advertising their big American performance vehicles.
#76
http://content.usatoday.com/communit...osch-mileage/1
The anti-diesel sentiment in the U.S. is eroding fast, according to component and auto-technology supplier Bosch.
The company's data show that 32% of consumers said last year they would consider a diesel vehicle, up from just 12% in 2006, according to Lars Ullrich, director of marketing for Bosch Diesel Systems North America.
That seems to match behavior. When a vehicle is available with a diesel, 33% choose the diesel version, he says.
Diesels get about 30% better fuel economy than similar gasoline models, though diesels do best on the highway and are less-impressive on city mpg. The problem is that lots of makers are still withholding their diesel engines from the U.S. market. Ullrich thinks the diesel tide will turn. "An avalanche of clean diesels coming into the market," should boost diesel vehicle sales, Ulrich says. "That makes us very optimistic."
Poster car for U.S. diesels is the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. About 85% are sold with diesels. The car's image as a practical vehicle begs for the fuel economy and pulling power of a diesel, and that combination appeals to practical-minded U.S. buyers. It starts at $26,030, or $1,250 more than the similar gasoline version.
VW sells more U.S. diesels than any other maker: Golf, 55% diesel; Touareg SUV, about 50%; Jetta sedan, about 25%. VW says overall diesel sales in 2011 were up 14% vs. 2010.
He discussed the U.S. diesel market in an interview at the Washington, D.C., auto show recently.
He forecasts that the number of vehicles in which diesel engines are available will double to 50 the next two or three years. Some he must keep secret because of agreements with automakers that Bosch supplies. He cited these as evidence that the U.S. no longer is hugely hostile to diesel power:
Chevrolet Cruze is to offer a diesel option next year. General Motors CEO Dan Akerson disclosed that tidbit in an interview with Drive On last summer.
Jeep Grand Cherokee adds a diesel version next year, prompting parent Chrysler Group to add 1,100 jobs at the Jefferson North factory in Detroit to build them. Ullrich didn't say so, but it's fair to speculate that the mechanically similar Dodge Durango could be in line for a diesel, as well.
Cadillac ATS, the brand's new, small rival to BMW 3-series, gets a diesel during the car's first generation, GM President of the Americas Mark Reuss says. ATS is coming this summer as a 2013 model. Reuss didn't say just when a diesel would join.
Mazda plans a North American diesel next year as part of its Skyactiv suite of fuel-saving technology. Mazda's being cagey about what vehicle will offer it.
Chrysler plans a new version of the discontinued Dakota pickup in 2016 and will include a diesel, Ullrich says. Chrysler's product plan shows no direct Dakota replacement, but does show a unibody-design mid-size pickup (think Honda Ridgeline) is possible.
Why diesel popularity hasn't grown faster:
Higher vehicle prices: $1,000 to $2,000 more expensive than a similar gasoline model is typical.
Higher fuel prices: About 3.89 a gallon vs. $3.43 for gasoline, according to data published by AAA travel organization. Why? Because federal tax on diesel is 6 cents a gallon more than on gasoline. Because demand for diesel is global; it's the common fuel -- not gasoline -- in many countries. Because diesel is similar enough to heating oil and other petroleum products that it has to fight for refinery space. In winter, when homeowners in the northeast burn heating oil, there's less refinery capacity for diesel.
Prejudice: Many people still think diesel exhaust is smoky, black, smelly. In today's diesel cars, it isn't. Some people still have bad memories, or have heard horror stories, about unreliable GM diesels in the 1970s and 1980s. GM is so sure that'll never happen again that it'll be first among the Detroit 3 to field a diesel car when it launches the Cruze diesel.
Odor: Though diesel exhaust no longer stinks, the fuel still does.
Fuel stations: There's some fear, generally unfounded, that it's hard to find diesel fuel. More than 40% of stations carry it, though that includes truck stops.
The company's data show that 32% of consumers said last year they would consider a diesel vehicle, up from just 12% in 2006, according to Lars Ullrich, director of marketing for Bosch Diesel Systems North America.
That seems to match behavior. When a vehicle is available with a diesel, 33% choose the diesel version, he says.
Diesels get about 30% better fuel economy than similar gasoline models, though diesels do best on the highway and are less-impressive on city mpg. The problem is that lots of makers are still withholding their diesel engines from the U.S. market. Ullrich thinks the diesel tide will turn. "An avalanche of clean diesels coming into the market," should boost diesel vehicle sales, Ulrich says. "That makes us very optimistic."
Poster car for U.S. diesels is the Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen. About 85% are sold with diesels. The car's image as a practical vehicle begs for the fuel economy and pulling power of a diesel, and that combination appeals to practical-minded U.S. buyers. It starts at $26,030, or $1,250 more than the similar gasoline version.
VW sells more U.S. diesels than any other maker: Golf, 55% diesel; Touareg SUV, about 50%; Jetta sedan, about 25%. VW says overall diesel sales in 2011 were up 14% vs. 2010.
He discussed the U.S. diesel market in an interview at the Washington, D.C., auto show recently.
He forecasts that the number of vehicles in which diesel engines are available will double to 50 the next two or three years. Some he must keep secret because of agreements with automakers that Bosch supplies. He cited these as evidence that the U.S. no longer is hugely hostile to diesel power:
Chevrolet Cruze is to offer a diesel option next year. General Motors CEO Dan Akerson disclosed that tidbit in an interview with Drive On last summer.
Jeep Grand Cherokee adds a diesel version next year, prompting parent Chrysler Group to add 1,100 jobs at the Jefferson North factory in Detroit to build them. Ullrich didn't say so, but it's fair to speculate that the mechanically similar Dodge Durango could be in line for a diesel, as well.
Cadillac ATS, the brand's new, small rival to BMW 3-series, gets a diesel during the car's first generation, GM President of the Americas Mark Reuss says. ATS is coming this summer as a 2013 model. Reuss didn't say just when a diesel would join.
Mazda plans a North American diesel next year as part of its Skyactiv suite of fuel-saving technology. Mazda's being cagey about what vehicle will offer it.
Chrysler plans a new version of the discontinued Dakota pickup in 2016 and will include a diesel, Ullrich says. Chrysler's product plan shows no direct Dakota replacement, but does show a unibody-design mid-size pickup (think Honda Ridgeline) is possible.
Why diesel popularity hasn't grown faster:
Higher vehicle prices: $1,000 to $2,000 more expensive than a similar gasoline model is typical.
Higher fuel prices: About 3.89 a gallon vs. $3.43 for gasoline, according to data published by AAA travel organization. Why? Because federal tax on diesel is 6 cents a gallon more than on gasoline. Because demand for diesel is global; it's the common fuel -- not gasoline -- in many countries. Because diesel is similar enough to heating oil and other petroleum products that it has to fight for refinery space. In winter, when homeowners in the northeast burn heating oil, there's less refinery capacity for diesel.
Prejudice: Many people still think diesel exhaust is smoky, black, smelly. In today's diesel cars, it isn't. Some people still have bad memories, or have heard horror stories, about unreliable GM diesels in the 1970s and 1980s. GM is so sure that'll never happen again that it'll be first among the Detroit 3 to field a diesel car when it launches the Cruze diesel.
Odor: Though diesel exhaust no longer stinks, the fuel still does.
Fuel stations: There's some fear, generally unfounded, that it's hard to find diesel fuel. More than 40% of stations carry it, though that includes truck stops.
#77
Prejudice: Many people still think diesel exhaust is smoky, black, smelly. In today's diesel cars, it isn't. Some people still have bad memories, or have heard horror stories, about unreliable GM diesels in the 1970s and 1980s. GM is so sure that'll never happen again that it'll be first among the Detroit 3 to field a diesel car when it launches the Cruze diesel.
Odor: Though diesel exhaust no longer stinks, the fuel still does.
Odor: Though diesel exhaust no longer stinks, the fuel still does.
#80
It seems Korean diesel engine tech is at par with there Hybrid.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/carsa...g-shocker.aspx
The 88mpg Kia fails to do 88mpg shocker!
http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/carsa...g-shocker.aspx
The 88mpg Kia fails to do 88mpg shocker!