Cummins not ready to give up on light duty diesel regardless of Chrysler's fate
2009 Dodge Ram - Click above for high-res image gallery
A short while ago, every manufacturer building and selling light duty full-size trucks for the US market was preparing to add diesel engines to those vehicles. Over the course of the past 12 months, as diesel prices spiked and truck sales tanked, one by one every single manufacturer indefinitely shelved those plans. The last one standing was Chrysler, and even that company pushed back its new Cummins-developed light duty diesel until at least 2011.
Mike Levine from PickupTrucks.com spoke with Mark Land, director of public relations at Cummins, about the new light-duty diesel engine. Apparently, the diesel engine maker is very confident that its new engine will get adopted by someone, even if it isn't Chrysler, which is planning to launch a two-mode hybrid version of the Ram in 2010 and at least publicly said it plans to launch the diesel a year later. If Chrysler decides not to bring the Cummins engine to market, it's possible that Nissan may use the engine in its new light commercial vehicles.
Gallery: Review: 2009 Dodge Ram
[Source: PickupTrucks.com]
All photos Copyright © 2009 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jharlan 11:27PM (5/10/2009)
The 5.9L Cummins diesel is the best in the light truck business. All of these big 3 guessed wrong about the demand for a lighter duty diesel in half ton trucks. First to market wins. A 30% increase in economy wins in work trucks. Texas thru California rural people use trucks for a car as well as for work. The Dodge diesel owners love their trucks. There are plenty of 1992 Dodge diesels still out there performing day in and day out, and that is coming from a Ford diesel man.
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Nick 3:53AM (5/11/2009)
Someone needs to tell Chrysler designers that wheel arches painted in a different color is not cool.
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Critter 6:23AM (5/11/2009)
Hey Cummins, can you make diesel engines that fit into small cars? It seems to be all the rage in europe. . .
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Dave 7:35AM (5/11/2009)
They can make em.
But will anyone pay the sticker price?
USA doesn't give preferential tax treatment to diesel fuel and diesel emissions. So diesels aren't a bargain here.
~D. 8:22AM (5/11/2009)
I'll buy 'em. In fact, I have had such an unbelievably positive experience with diesel that I will use availability of a diesel engine option as one of my primary qualifications when creating a pool for the next car I ever purchase...if I ever have to. I used to wonder why diesel had become such the rage in Europe, sure I had read about it, but it wasn't until I owned one that I understood why the few diesel drivers on the roads here in the US are as fanatical as they/we are.
Ralph 12:33PM (5/12/2009)
The proposed light duty diesel was a 5.0L V8. It is a hot little engine. 32 valves. Tons of torque. Its a great 1/2 ton p/u engine or a full size SUV. They just need a customer. They were shopping this engine 5 years ago but no US OEM wanted it. That's why they are going broke. Imagine if 2 years ago you could have bought a diesel p/u or SUV from Dodge. What about a diesel Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum or Charger. All had the space for a V8. "It could have been a contender!" Short sighted OEMs. VW has a great diesel in the Jetta that does not use SCR (Urea). 40+ mpg hwy and it also gets a $1,300 tax credit for low emissions which easily makes the car's diesel engine price premium a non-issue.
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Jason 9:01AM (5/13/2009)
They were worried about sky high diesel prices at the time...which were completly unfounded. Today Diesel is 14 cents cheaper than Gasoline and you get approx 30% better mileage to boot. Again these prices are unfounded as well, the futures market is to full of speculators.
Unfortuneatly nobody wins in this one though...I just wish an automotive company could focus and plan on something more than 2 years out.
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Dave 12:08AM (5/14/2009)
I assume that diesel fuel prices drop in spring.
Diesel fuel comes from the same component of crude oil as #2 heating oil, IIRC. And demand for heating oil is obviously down at this time of the year.
When fall / winter hits, the price should go back up.
Shannon 7:44AM (5/25/2009)
The Big 3's "You'll buy what we make" mentality has driven them into bankruptcy. They have take the American public for mindless brand loyal fools. They American public has voted with their wallets, and they aren't voting for the Big 3 that's for damn sure. Ford saw the light, and the jury is still out as to whether or not it was too late. Maybe they will survive, maybe they won't. Hopefully they see another light, a chance to snatch up Cummins for their F-150. Ford has been wooing Cummins for years, but Chrysler would never give them up. How could they, it's the best diesel engines on the market, and every manufacturer will admit it. I'm just hoping that the USA gets its head out of its you know what and starts thinking long-term, not just on the next shiny object 6 months down the road.
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