Why Are Many Diesel Cars Not Available in the U.S.?

With all the talk today about fuel efficiency and reducing emissions, you would think that more diesel powered cars would be available for purchase in the United States. Along with O2 Sensors, Air Fuel Ratio Sensors, and new ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, new diesel cars are not only very clean but get excellent gas mileage.  So why don’t we see more of them?

Diesel powered cars are popular around the globe, especially in Europe where diesel gas is often less expensive. There are many European car makers that produce diesel cars for their European markets, but they seldom make it to U.S. shores. This is mostly due to automakers reluctance to bring diesel cars to the U.S. because of low demand. 

2012 VW Passat

Diesel cars do not have the best reputation in America. Twenty years ago (or more), diesels were noisy, clunky, and produced a thick cloud of smoke whenever you pressed down on the gas pedal. They also rarely passed emissions testing, especially in ultra-strict California. Today’s diesels are worlds apart from their ancestors, but the poor qualities associated with them persist in public minds. 

In addition to already poor attitudes toward diesels, the great qualities of new generation diesels are often overlooked. Despite getting similar gas mileage and often better emissions than hybrid vehicles, it’s usually the hybrid sector that gets the most press for being green.  This is in spite of the fact that the batteries used in hybrid vehicles are full of toxic and carcinogenic materials that are downright hazardous to obtain. Chalk it up to good marketing on behalf of the hybrid car industry, and a lack of marketing dollars spent on pimping diesel cars as the new ultra-green hybrid alternative.

2012 Audi Q7 TDI

The last major obstacle in an increased demand for diesel cars here is the heavier tax levied on diesel fuel. Typically the price of gasoline is about 18% federal and state taxes – with diesel fuel it’s about 25%. This is due to outdated tax code and results in higher prices for diesel fuel at the pump: although owners may get much better gas mileage, they are still paying more per gallon. This can offset the benefit of fuel efficiency to the consumer.

With gas prices soaring, public attitudes are beginning to come around. In 2012 VW released the Passat, Jetta, and Golf TDI, BMW released both 3 Series diesels and the X5 XDrive 35d, and Audi released the A3 TDI and Q7 TDI.  If this trend continues we may get a decent selection of diesel engines available in the U.S., and if we’re lucky, new legislation to make taxes on diesel vs gasoline more fair. With greater awareness of the benefits plus some serious marketing push by automakers, more diesel-powered cars can definitely be in our future.

Green Hybrid.. Military Vehicles?

When you typically think of "green" in the auto industry, things like O2 Sensor, oxygen sensors, and hybrid cars like the Toyota Pruis come to mind. I bet the last thing you would think of is the Army's all-terrain Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV), and yet here it is:

The advantage of going hybrid on a vehicle like this is not only to save gas (getting gas in the field in Afghanistan can cost upwards of $400/gallon... think about that next time you're at the pump); this vehicle can also run in silent (fully electric) mode for up to 8 miles. Combined with it's diesel engine it maintains the ability to go up 60 degree grades and reach a top speed of 80mph.

These capabilities make it extremely versatile: running a diesel engine at 3am isn't the best way to go unnoticed in stealth operations. The silent mode on this vehicle can sneak up on terrorists faster than a Prius when you step into the crosswalk. Plus there is admittedly some novelty to having a giant machine gun mounted to the top of a hybrid vehicle.

Fiskar Karma hybrid-electric vehicle.

This vehicle is part of a larger effort to save money and help the environment without sacrificing power and usability for soldiers in the field. It is being produced by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide (QTWW), the company that makes the Q-Drive, the 400 hp drive train of the Fisker Karma. If you  haven't heard of the Fisker Karma, here's a few details to fill you in: a claimed total range of 300 miles (483 km), the first 50 miles (80 km) of which is on tailpipe-emission free electric-only charge, and it looks absolutely amazing.

There was a time where it was difficult to even get pictures of CERV's, but as the Army has entered one to be on display at the Chicago Auto Show it seems the times are changing. The 25% better fuel economy this hybrid offers not only saves money, but enables military personnel to go longer without filling up. Time will tell if these become a permanent installation in the military, but it certainly seems a step in the right direction to save money and increase utility for today's soldiers.