Ready for That Shiny New Diesel-powered Car? Not So Fast.

By Kinder Essington

Kinder Essington

Contributing Writer BIO

Kinder is a regular contributor to High Gear Media, commenting on the automotive business and specializing in marketing and advertising. Born... More

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3 4,037 views Jan 21, 2010

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Only about a year ago, we heard plans from just about everybody that diesel powertrains were soon to be available in a wide range of cars and light-duty pickups.  Ford had plans.  GM had plans.  A number of Japanese companies had plans.

It made sense.  Diesels are an off-the-shelf solution to C.A.F.E.'s higher standards, delivering about 30 percent better mileage than a comparable gas engine.  Their high torque output promised spirited driving.  New diesels are clean and smoke-free.  And bolting a diesel into an engine bay is a lot simpler and less complex than stuffing in a couple hundred pounds of batteries, regenerative braking systems and electric motors alongside a gas motor, transmission and drive train to create a hybrid.

But today it seems most of these car companies have dropped their diesel plans.  How come?

One reason given is the high cost of diesel fuel in the U.S.  We are told there are two factors.  First, there aren't a whole lot of diesel-producing refineries.  Spikes in demand lead to volatile prices (like gasoline is stable?).  Next, while Europe made diesel a relative bargain by making gasoline cost $5, $6 or more per gallon through taxation, the States have gone the other way.  Connecticut, for example, slapped a big tax on diesel to vacuum the wallets of over-the-road truckers.  Result, diesel in CT costs more per gallon than premium gas.

Next we are told that most Americans still think diesels are noisy, stinky and smokey.  While that may be, an aggressive test-drive program would cure that in a couple of months.

One reason the car companies haven't mentioned is there is not a single small diesel manufacturing plant in all of North America.  To build diesel cars in the States would mean turning to Europe or Japan for engines and that would be expensive indeed.

And if you were at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, you found big time displays at Ford and Chrysler of smaller, more efficient gas engines as well as new small car offerings from Ford and GM--all designed to reduce fuel consumption.  For Chrysler, its "wait until next year."

So for the foreseeable future, if you want a diesel car, you have five Brand choices.  Audi offers the diesel A3 (pictured above and the current holder of the "Green Car of the Year" award) and an A4 diesel is rumored.  BMW offers a diesel 3 Series and has plans to offer more.  Mercedes, who has a long history of offering diesels in the U.S., will have a number of offerings.  VW has a Golf and Passat.  And the only non-German in the bunch, Mazda, still has plans to bring a 2.2-liter diesel which could find a home in a number of their offerings.

Too bad about the diesel situation, but if the idea is burn less energy the fact that we do it is more important than how we do it.