Mercedes expects diesels to account for 10-percent of US market
Looks like Mercedes-Benz is expecting diesels to make a huge comeback in the United States over the next few years. M-B is apparently projecting that diesels will account for a whopping 10 percent of U.S. sales by 2010, up from just 3 percent last year. With the new BLUETEC-nology helping the German automakers meet stricter Bin 5 clean air standards, and gas prices continuing to hover near the $3/gallon level, it's likely diesels will become more attractive to buyers, especially in the light- and heavy-duty truck segment where the mileage and torque gains seem huge compared to gas-engined options.
New low-sulfur diesel fuel is finally becoming more widely available in States too, so look for diesels to start popping up everywhere soon. Mercedes in particular has shown off the possibilities of diesel in its E320 and will start selling diesels this fall starting in the ML320 and then the GL320 and probably the R320, as well. And Mercedes isn't the only company expecting big diesel gains. J.D. Power's Global Outlook for Diesel predicts North American diesel sales to account for 15 percent of new vehicle sales by 2015.
[Source: Automotive News, sub req]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Anthony Albertus 6:43PM (4/02/2007)
..'as gas prices continuing to hover near the THREE DOLLAR level"?? That sounds great.
In San Francisco I just paid $3.79 for premium. A buddy just saw it for .....
$4.19 a gallon one town away.
Y'all with the $3buck gas better be smiling. This isn't getting better. No wonder MB is banking on high mpg diesels. More the better.
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DPC car videos 6:58PM (4/02/2007)
I remember in the late 70's early 80's there where lots of diesel Mercedes around where I live and they where the favorites among my father and his friends. However as the popularity went down, more and more gas stations here stopped carrying diesel fuel. Maybe they will start carrying diesel if there is more diesel powered car sold.
http://www.dpccars.com
DPCcars
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chewy 7:07PM (4/02/2007)
Looks like diesel will have the price per gallon on its side as well. Premium is 3.60 here in CA, diesel is only 3.20. Regular is 3.35. Diesels wins in mpg and fuel price.
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zack 7:07PM (4/02/2007)
to #1
If you also noticed, California Diesel is penalized even more than premium. True, it fluctuates less. But the stuff is more than premium fuel most of the time. Talking to a friend in Texas, it's always cheaper there (diesel that is).
I'd go diesel in my next Audi, but when the fuel costs more than premium.. I don't see the advantage. Stupid California taxes stuck in the stoneage.
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Carlos 7:28PM (4/02/2007)
Everyone talks of diesels like they're the second coming of Christ, but really they're still heavy and noisy, and many of them still suffer from serious turbo lag.
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Maxzillian 7:37PM (4/02/2007)
Carlos: You've been driving the last generation 6.0 Powerstroke, huh? ;)
Honestly, diesels aren't the next biggest thing since sliced bread. However, the research and development being put into them now is.
Personally, I'm all for diesel cars, especially if they're more performance tuned (as silly as that may sound to most people).
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Proud Japanese 7:50PM (4/02/2007)
What turbo lag? Diesels are reknown for bucket loads of torque from 1k+ rmp
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Tal 8:04PM (4/02/2007)
Hey, diesel may cost a little more per gallon but the advantage(s) will be an incresed MPG compared to a gasoline powered engine(MB C class =42+ MPG,MB E Class= 37 MPG), greater torque, a more durable engine compared to a gasoline engine more than likely and as time passes and cost of fuel increases these $ savings will add up. It's coming , like it or not.
When the Chinese (and Indians maybe later) kick in with the use of their ever multipying number of vehicles on new highway systems they are building that allow them to drive greater distances because they can begin to afford to buy more fuel with the increased earnings they will be paid for building and selling more products worldwide, then we will be happy to fill our vehicles with diesel fuel at $ 4-5 per gallon and be glad we get the increased MPG.
Diesels will be just one cog in the multi-faceted group of fuel saving engines that consists of alcohol, hybrids, electric, hydrogen,gasoline, solar and whatever other source of power that will propel the vehicles we will need or want to drive.
Perhaps a complicated supply and demand senario we will have to live with.
I believe diesel will be my choice unless something better presents itself in the next couple of years.
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Ken 9:19PM (4/02/2007)
AMG diesel anyone?
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stirlo 9:34PM (4/02/2007)
yeh there's a wicked SLK amg diesel concept, a tri-turbo version of the 3.0 CRD engine..
I hope they bring this out!
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Mark 9:52PM (4/02/2007)
Mercedes already sells GL 320, ML 320, and R 320 CDI vehicles in the US. Another incorrect article from Autoblog...
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wren 12:24AM (4/03/2007)
Good news indeed. Add my voice to the chorus of approval. Come on, world, North America waits!
I have yet to drive a Bluetec diesel. But the idea of dividing the cost among interested parties was brightly simple.
Recently (was it here?), Carlos Ghosn said that diesel doesn't make sense for small cars. I beg to differ. I have driven the 1.9L VW with a stick shift (!) and it drives just fine. Surely Nissan and Renault offer small diesels in Europe the rest of the world-?
Anyway, here here.
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Mike 3:30PM (4/03/2007)
Carlos; I don't care, I'm going to buy a diesel car anyway.
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Don 3:31PM (4/03/2007)
Stick diesels in everything as far as I'm concerned.
Hybrids/schmybrids.
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BIG_TRUCK_MAN_TEXAS 10:34AM (4/04/2007)
Me, Im from TEXAS and we aint no yeller bellies.
I want more horse power and less MPG.
I need a BIG fast truck,why ? I dunno, but I just know this,I ain't gonna B drivin one O dem fancy German cars. I want a Good Ole boy car.Designed by a good Ole boy.With one hand on the Blue prints of the next fine gas hog truck and one on a good American Beer(and the mental capacity of a 12 year old). A big burly man that isn't concerned with this environment crap or good handeling and stability and all that other nonsense.THis is AMERICA!!! WE BELIVE IN JUESUS!!! AND FOR THAT FACT AND FOR THAT FACT ALONE,ANYTHING THAT HAPPENDS IN THIS WORLD DOES NOT MATTER!!! WHAT WE DO TO OUR PLANET IS NO CONCERN OF US,,WHY?? BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO MAGIC HAPPY LAND WHEN WE DIE!!!!We want cheap gas and we will get it!!! If not, WE will just put a boot in yer ass and take yours!!
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frank.filipponio 8:38AM (4/06/2007)
11 - like the artcle says, the new Bin 5 models (that aren't availabale yet) will help M-B and others reach into a huge new market and expand diesel sales
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