The diesels are coming. The diesels are coming!
Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of the clean diesel Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec.
Petrol is expensive in Europe and has been for a long time which goes a long way to explaining the popularity of fuel-efficient diesel passenger vehicles on the other side of the pond. Diesels account for over half of all vehicle sales in Europe compared to less than five percent in the U.S., or Australia for that matter. Diesel technology has progressed greatly though since the 1970's when many U.S. states banned them from the roads. And they're about to return.
These days modern, clean diesel engines include precise fuel injection, advanced engine management and particulate filters to reduce emissions. But even so, a big stumbling block to their re-introduction to the U.S. market has been the poor quality of the diesel fuel sold state-side. With the recent introduction of ultra low sulphur diesel though, those days are at an end and a wave of new clean diesel models will be coming to market during the 2007, 2008 and 2009 release seasons.
Hybrids have so far led the market in fuel-efficient new models but the premium for hybrid technology currently stands at around $4,000 over a conventional vehicle compared with just $2,000 for a diesel variant. And the 20 - 40 percent better fuel economy that diesels' enjoy over regular petrol vehicles could have a huge impact if they're embraced en-masse. The EPA has estimated a saving of 1.4 million barrels of oil per day in the U.S. if a third of the passenger vehicles on the road were oil burners - virtually the same amount being imported daily from Saudi Arabia.
Analysis: Expect consumer mind-share to shift slowly to encompass diesels as competition for hybrids, but by 2010 I think we'll see more diesel options available to consumers than hybrid options.
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[Source: Matt Vella / Business Week]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
James 10:14AM (3/31/2007)
BMW claims they will have an X5 diesel and 5-series diesel here for 08, unfortunately there is no word (that I know of) that they will bring the sweet 320d here for 08.
Seems to me they are missing the point, bring the cheaper models with better mileage. I think that's what the US consumer wants.
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doug 10:28AM (3/31/2007)
On the surface, all this recent press over diesel fuel efficiency makes it seem like it'll be our short term salvation. Until, that is, you get to your local pump and discover diesel fuel is commanding a sometimes 20 cent premium over regular gasoline.....
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Matt 12:28PM (3/31/2007)
I noticed that Doug. The funny thing is, diesel always use to be cheaper or equal to the 87 grade gas. I don't remember when it started to go up in price. More demand I guess..?
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bill 2:11PM (3/31/2007)
#2 if you factor in the increased fuel efficiency of diesel over gas (30%) and remember that the only reason gas is cheaper than diesel right now is because its blended with ethanol, then 20 cents doesn't seem like much ($.20/2.60= 7.69%). And don't forget that when they cut the gas with ethanol your gas mileage goes down about 10%.
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doug 8:13PM (3/31/2007)
Bill, #4, it's hard for me to understand that a 10% blend of ethanol in a gallon of regular gasoline cuts our mileage by a factor of .10 over a gallon of 100% gasoline. Could your explanation of a 10% loss be perhaps, on a higher percentage of ethanol per gallon?
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MikeW 1:09AM (4/01/2007)
That 10% ethanol diluted fuel only drops the mileage 3%
100% fuel = baseline, so 90% fuel (.9) + 70% (ethanol's lower energy density) x 10%=0.07 so 100% vs 97%
That new 2.0 I4 semi-serial turbodiesel from BMW looks sweet ~200hp & 300ft-lbs, perfect for the 1-series with a ZF 6hp26 or 6 speed stick. Unless BMW has a double clutch transmission ready for the masses and not just the M-group.
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Peter 1:31AM (4/01/2007)
it is all because of taxes. Different states have different taxes, here is just a quick look in VA, while diesel would be much higher compare to regular gasoline.
VA, Fort Chiswell regular 2.529
VA, Fort Chiswell LSD 2.539
It is funny how US used diesel with high sulfur concentration and at that time diesel tax was imposed in some countries.
I really hope that audi and shell would work something our for biodiesel standart so if you'll use B100 you warranty will not expire.
But even if you'll B100 your filter will probably clogged up, so people would just need to clean them...
but hybrid is for a city, while diesel is more for a highway use. both could coexist with each other.
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middleoroad 10:10AM (4/01/2007)
I would wait for second generation clean diesels because the exhaust gas reburning technology may improve(Mercedes is injecting urea into the catalyst for example)something simpler will come soon(remember smog pumps?)As for hybrids wait longer.We should be getting closer to 80 mpg to offset cost,complexity and battery issues(remember bhopal?).
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Tim 10:47AM (4/02/2007)
They should all be rated for B100 so I can make my own from used veggie oil. Maybe I'd just reconfigure them as "grease" cars.
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James 9:52AM (4/03/2007)
Tim, #9: Actually, home production is indicative of one of the larger barriers to certification of B100. Home brewers can't regulate the consistency of their fuel. This is also true of small BD makers. The likelyhood of getting a "bad-tank" of BD is MUCH higher than if you get straight diesel at the pump.
So, if we want BD certified in our TDI's and CDI's, then we need government regulation and oversight. If BD became regulated the same way gas is, automakers would be able to rely on the consistency of fuel, and it would not cause warrantee liability.
So, in a manner of speaking, brewing BD at home is preventing the automakers from allowing BD in their cars. (yeah, that's a gross oversimplification, but you can see where I'm going here)
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