Posted on 06/13/2006 3:15:43 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Under the hood, Europe and America take different roads. Half of Europe’s 15 million new car sales a year are for models with diesel engines. In the U.S., manufacturers sell fewer than 50,000 diesel cars a year.
Once again, diesels have a chance--but only a chance--at gaining ground in America. Rising fuel prices work in their favor, as does the advent of cleaner diesel fuel in the U.S., which will help open the door for the importation of Europe’s high-technology diesel engines.
The problem is that while cleaner diesel fuel is coming to market here, federal emission standards are climbing, too. The Europeans say that their new technology diesels will be able to meet our tougher rules, but not for a few years.
In Europe, diesels have a double-barreled advantage. First, they get better mileage, 25% to 30% better than gasoline-powered vehicles. Measured by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard, the Volkswagen diesel Jetta (stick shift) gets 36 miles per gallon in the city and 41 on the highway, versus 22/30 city/highway for the 2.5-liter five-cylinder gasoline model.
Second, European governments do not tax diesel fuel as much as gasoline. The difference in taxation may run as much as $2 per gallon. In the U.S., diesel does not have a price advantage. A colleague recently paid $2.71 per gallon for regular gasoline in Detroit, while diesel was going for $3. . . .
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
There is something familiar about these states other than a lack of deisel vehicles.
The Jetta diesel I had got 50mpg hwy and 45 city.
The new diesels (with the new ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) currently being rolled out across America) can easily meet every other emission standard, and put out less of many other gases (including CO and CO2) than gasoline-fueled engines, but because of the higher temperatures involved in the combustion of a compression-ignition engine, they put out more NOx.
But, look at this:
EPA's New NOx Rules Could Increase Urban Smog Problem
Another example of counter-productive government regulation.
These EPA NOx rules need to be immediately suspended, at the very least, pending further investigation.
Then, we can get the clean diesels that Europeans enjoy, and start saving fuel!
I love my F-250 7.3L Powerstroke Diesal. Even though diesal fuel is pricey I still come out ahead of comparable pick-ups with gas engines.
It should be noted that the U.S. taxes diesel more. This tax differential can be traced back to...you guessed it...the Clinton administration!
You got that right. The diesel engine is the original "flex fuel" engine!
It's part of Europe's Kyoto strategy. Diesels emit less CO2 (because they use less fuel), so the shift to diesels has helped Europe in the effort to comply with Kyoto.
And, no...European diesel fuel is very clean. The Europeans are less stringent on NOx, though (which would seem to be the smart way to go).
by 2010 the air coming out of the exhaust stack will be cleaner than the air going into the intake
It also means we get more power per ton of engine weight out of them, although engine weight is often an asset (stability).
Right. They are noxious rules.
And when that is fixed internal combustion vehicles will be banned for leaving too much rubber on the road.
yitbos
I think that method will probably beat out DaimlerChrysler's BLUETEC eventually, as I suspect it will be cheaper.
There are plenty of diesel pickups in Mass., why are diesel cars illegal?
Massachusetts uses California's emissions standards, which require absurdly low levels of nitrogen oxides, which in urban areas, seems to be counter-productive, resulting in more, not less, smog.
Not only that, but Diesel NOx doesn't increase with use. Typical automotive NOx emmissions surpass Diesel after about 40K miles.
No, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's how they do it.
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