Dead Diesels: Six automakers reportedly kill plans for oil burners
Diesel's near-term prospects in America took a huge hit with the revelation that nine diesel-powered 2010 models are on hold. Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan have put the kibosh on rolling out more oil burners due to cost and perception issues.
Toyota's obviously on a hybrid run and doesn't want to expel the effort or expense of investing in diesel for the American market -- and having to overcome America's dirty diesel perceptions. The others, as mass market manufacturers, simply need more justification for the cost and complexity of oilburners in order to make the case for consumers to spend more.
Additionally, diesel's benefits are weighted differently according to EPA or CAFE standards. The EPA mileage numbers present diesels well, but CAFE's differing fuel mileage equation makes gas-hybrids look better than diesels, and CAFE is something all automakers are looking at. However, you'll notice that German brands aren't mentioned -- their price premium and European diesel volumes make a worthwhile case for diesels, so those diesel Jetta Sportwagons won't be going away any time soon.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
P.V. 5:06PM (7/01/2009)
It's not a huge surprise considering that Toyota never really mentioned it for the USDM (See? This is why I say that Toyota is not really committed to alternative fuels (of course the same could also be said about the other companies mentioned)!) and Honda and GM kept flip-flopping on the issue. That said, I'm sad about the loss of the i-DTEC and i-CTDI engines here.
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Senseiwalex 5:07PM (7/01/2009)
It's amazing how long dirty diesel perceptions linger in the U.S. My step dad's Bluetec e class is superb and is only marginally louder than a standard e class.
I just wish Ford would bring some diesel variants here! Come on fiesta!
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paul34 5:15PM (7/01/2009)
It's sort of an endless circle. People keep with the false diesel notions, yet the non-German brands don't attack the USDM with diesels and the associated marketing. So people don't change their minds and keep going with what their fathers told them about diesels.
Also, one thing is that at most stations that offer diesel, the diesel pump can be intimidating to some types. It's not always the well-lit, clean, modern type of pump that you often get. Many times its slightly older than the other pumps, worn, and even if nothing else, it is usually very dirty/greasy. Your average Prius owner would probably have a bit of an issue with that.
Yaroukh 5:17PM (7/01/2009)
No diesel for Fiesta, no 3-door Fiesta:
"Fiesta Notebook: Sitting down with Ford’s small car chief, Sam De La Garza"
http://tinyurl.com/mcm6xg
P.S.: Fcuk off AB commenting system.
Dondonel 5:33PM (7/01/2009)
@Senseiwalex
"Dirty diesel" is not a perception issue, it is a fact. Diesels thrive in Europe, only because taxation and polution laws favors them. In Europe the taxes on gasoline are much higher than taxes on diesel; also the Euro polution standards, although they are called the same, have different requirements for gasoline and diesel.
In any place where the playing field between gasoline and diesel is level, like US or any other place than Europe, diesels have under 1% of the market. Besides, diesel's fuel economy benefits are inexistent - they lost it the moment diesels had to follow stricter weight, polution and NVH standards. And this happens while the diesel polution problems are as real as they get. The air in the streets of any crowded European city is hardly respirable because of the diesel fumes.
Yaroukh 5:39PM (7/01/2009)
@Dondonel:
> The air in the streets of any crowded European city is hardly respirable because of the diesel fumes.
I do agree with rest of your coment, but this is just bull$hit.
Dondonel 5:53PM (7/01/2009)
@Yaroukh
I don't know how often are you travelling to Europe, but I do.
Go to any large and crowded southern European city, like in Italy or Greece, and you will see what I mean. London is pretty crappy too in terms of air quality, and diesels have a lot to do with it.
Yaroukh 6:04PM (7/01/2009)
@Dondonel: I do live in Europe. Had you said "large and crowded southern European city" in the first comment I would remain quite. (Even though I think it is very exaggerated.)
But "any crowded city" being "hardly respirable" is just too much... I happen to live in Prague, which is definetely not the scale of London, but it is still pretty "crowded" with traffic jams being everyday reality. (And you have to keep in mind that this is Central Europe, by which I mean that the cars here are still slightly older and therefore more polluting than in the West-European countries.)
So it is no Alps here but the air in the strets is still VERY MUCH respirable. :)
Mike 9:49AM (7/02/2009)
Funny you mention the BlueTec, none of the companies on that list above are European...
Diesels are not dead, they are just dead for uneducated consumers.
If any of those companies mentioned had an ounce of brains they would ride the "diesel is the new ecological choice" wave the Germans have started and release some low displacement oil-burners in the compact and sub-compact markets with eco-friendly marketing.
turbo-quattro 8:02PM (7/01/2009)
paul34 -- I dont know where you are from, but here in Denver, many pumps have a Diesel nozzle on the same pump as the regular unleaded/midgrade/premium pumps. So it should be no different than filling up a regular petrol car; only you use the green nozzle instead of the black one.
Noidor 8:15PM (7/01/2009)
Yaroukh my mench (hope the Jewish Quarter is doing well) , for as long as I can remember Dondonel has been throwing out blatantly wrong facts about diesels. Must be a GM rep or something.
Anyways facts are not to be argued with, if VW can deliver on TDI in Jetta/Golf/Touareg then what else needs to be said? Also look at 330d and 530d, in some instances European press prefers those to 335d and 535d engines. Those are drivable cars which deliver on entertainment factor.
How are diesel prices these days? Still on par with petrol?
d4rez 8:25PM (7/01/2009)
@ Dondonel
"London is pretty crappy too in terms of air quality, and diesels have a lot to do with it"
Sorry, what? I'm not sure how often your "travelling" takes you to London but I happen to work and live there. I can tell you that what you are saying is total bilge, I have never noticed a problem with the air quality and I have never had any adverse health effects related to the air quality. Seriously what are you talking about?
Bloke 9:16AM (7/02/2009)
"In Europe the taxes on gasoline are much higher than taxes on diesel;" - Dondonel
This is the case in some European countries, such as France, Spain and Italy. In others, such as Poland and the UK, diesel usually costs the same as premium (or super) unleaded.
In the UK, diesels still account for some 50% of all new car sales. I personally favour diesels - more flexible through the gears, very economical, bags of torque, and these days no real noticeable difference performance-wise to petrol equivalents.
Noidor 5:12PM (7/01/2009)
VW Jetta has been returning fantastic real world numbers in 40s, and BMW 335d is receving a positive response as well.
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tgriffith 5:15PM (7/01/2009)
What about GM's gas engine that runs like a diesel? That could be a cool alternative...
http://www.cargurus.com/blog/2009/05/26/is-gm-on-the-verge-of-inventing-a-new-kind-of-engine/
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Farmboy 6:28PM (7/01/2009)
Another cool alternative would be World Thorium Fuel. :)
tgriffith 7:14PM (7/01/2009)
I can see the headlines now: WTF? Car Accident Destroys Entire City.
Ha!
Yaroukh 5:15PM (7/01/2009)
No diesel for Fiesta, no 3-door Fiesta:
left-lane-news.com
fiesta-notebook-sitting-down-with-fords-small-car-chief-sam-de-la-garza.html
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Yaroukh 5:17PM (7/01/2009)
No diesel for Fiesta, no 3-door Fiesta:
"Fiesta Notebook: Sitting down with Ford’s small car chief, Sam De La Garza"
http://tinyurl.com/mcm6xg
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That One Person 5:38PM (7/01/2009)
I like diesels. Sucks there are no options other than VW (that are SOMEWHAT affordable).
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