Archive for June, 2009

This is part two of a three-part series on diesel in the United States. Yesterday, we talked about why diesel prices are so high. Tomorrow, we’ll look at what diesel options are coming soon to America.

Why are diesel automobiles less common in the United States than in virtually every other country in the world? Is it because the United States has stricter emissions requirements? If that’s what you think the reason is, then you’ll be surprised. The European Union countries have nearly the same automobile emissions laws when it comes to diesel-powered vehicles. So, if 40% of the vehicles sold in England and 74% of the vehicles sold in France are diesel, then why don’t we have something comparable in the United States?

Diesel has a bad reputation. That’s the biggest issue.

To get an idea what the diesel reputation is, take a look at Audi’s new ad campaign for their diesel vehicles. It’s all about countering diesel’s old reputation: “Diesel: it’s no longer a dirty word.” Audi attempts to confront some misconceptions about diesels, including the assumptions that they are nosy, dirty, sluggish, and slow. This is all untrue, of course.

Regardless of what the truth is diesel is still associated with big semi trucks spewing exhaust and those old, nasty diesels from decades ago. There are several groups looking to re-educate consumers, such as Clean Diesel Delivers. Their site goes over all the diesel myths in more detail than the Audi ad campaign.

With the proliferation of ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD), diesel vehicles are as clean as or cleaner than gasoline vehicles. And because diesel has more energy than gasoline per volume, fuel efficiency is much better, up to 35% better in fact. One concern of diesels is that they have higher NOx (smog-forming) emissions. The new diesel vehicles have technology that works in conjunction with the ULSD to reduce these emissions. Mercedes’ BlueTec is a good example. So are the new Volkswagen TDIs.

However, in an attempt to jump start the diesel vehicle market in the United States, manufacturers are focusing heavily on the fact that diesel vehicles can have top-notch performance. Audi points out that their diesel race car won the Le Mans race. Audi is currently selling the Q7 TDI, which oozes luxury, safety, and a 0-60 of 8.5 seconds. Then there’s the BMW 335d, with 265 horsepower and 36 mpg. Diesel is indeed no longer old technology.

Put the new diesel technology in a smaller, more economical car and you might get something like the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic. The only reason this car won’t make it to the U.S. has nothing to do with emissions laws.

Ultimately, diesel prices could scare consumers away from switching to a diesel vehicle. Even with the additional cost of diesel, consumers need to not only be educated on the benefits of diesel, such as more torque, power, engine life, and fuel efficiency, but they also need to be assured that the dirty old days of clunky, noisy, and smelly diesels are over. For more environmentally-oriented individuals, the benefit of being able to run biodiesel is an enormous incentive, but it’s unclear if the up-and-coming diesels will be as biodiesel-compatible as we would like.

So, is it time for you to consider a diesel?