Sweet. VW Diesel Rabbit....college all over again. I miss those clackity clackers.
I may have to pick one of those up when they come over here...since I'm pretty sure they've improved upon the 1985 design I'm used to. :) Gruss Gott wrote: > it's just a joy to watch capitalism work ... > > Diesel Gets Another Chance > Drive in a Chrysler Sedan From Europe Could Hint At Future for the U.S. > May 8, 2006 > > I spent part of last week driving around in a diesel-powered Chrysler > 300 sedan that was fast enough to zip me past the speed limit before I > even knew it, yet still averaged nearly 28 miles per gallon in city > and highway driving, compared to an EPA rated 22 miles per gallon for > a U.S. street legal gasoline V-6 model. > > Right now, you can't buy the Chrysler 300 CRD in the U.S. I borrowed > mine from a friend in the business whose mission was to demonstrate > the latest in European diesel technology. It's not clear whether > Chrysler will ever offer this European spec diesel 300 in the U.S. But > it looks like diesel power is about to get its best shot in at least > 20 years in the U.S. car and light truck market. > > As gas prices have gyrated during the past couple of years, much of > the discussion of how Americans could dramatically cut down on > gasoline consumption has focused on gas-electric hybrids. Diesel > technology, the solution favored in Europe, was marginalized as too > dirty, too expensive and too redolent of the gas shocks of the 1970s > and 1980s. > > Now, auto makers, led by Europeans but with Japanese and U.S.-based > producers right behind, see an opening created by a convergence of > cleaner diesel technology, cleaner fuels and U.S. consumers who are > starting to get the feeling that the days of super cheap gas are > really gone. > > This fall, big oil companies will be required to supply the U.S. > market with the low sulfur diesel fuels that the advanced diesel > engines sold in Europe, along with their exhaust scrubbing technology, > need to run properly. > > Auto makers are poised to jump on this opportunity to expand their > diesel offerings in the U.S., basically transferring the technology > developed to meet European fuel economy and environmental standards, > plus some extra hardware they'll need to achieve tougher U.S. > clean-air targets. Within the next few years, American consumers could > see substantially more diesel options available for large sedans, > sport utility vehicles and half-ton pickups. > > Around 3% to 4% of light vehicles sold in the U.S. are equipped with > diesel engines. Industry executives say they're comfortable with a > J.D. Power and Associates estimate that by 2010-2012, diesel could > have about a 10% share of the U.S. market. > > John Moulton, president of the powertrain division at Robert Bosch > GmbH's U.S. operation, says his company has an "optimistic forecast" > of a 15% diesel share by 2015. > > Put another way, if these forecasts are right, the number of > diesel-powered sedans, SUVs and pickups could roughly triple in four > years, and quintuple in nine years. By contrast, half or more of > European vehicles now have diesel engines. That's driven in part by > tax policies that make diesel cheaper than gasoline as well as > European regulations aimed at limiting CO2 emissions while allowing > higher levels of other pollutants, such as nitrous oxide, than in > America. > > Diesel power could quickly find its way into vehicles that are large, > expensive and fuel thirsty: luxury sedans, SUVs and half-ton pickups, > industry executives say. These are segments where the 20%-30% fuel > savings diesels can offer will get noticed most, and the added expense > of diesel technology -- which ranges from $2,000 to as much as $6,000 > depending on who's estimating -- is noticed least. > > Diesel power already dominates the heavy duty pickup market. But the > more popular "half-ton" pickups like the Ford F-150 are still mainly > gasoline powered. With gas prices at current levels, diesel-technology > suppliers say that situation is likely to change. > > "It would be very unlikely not to have diesel offerings post 2010" in > the half-ton pickup market, says Jeff Donnell, turbo technology vice > president and general manager Americas for Honeywell, which supplies > turbo chargers for diesel engines. > > In Europe, diesels have taken over the large luxury sedan market, > dominated by DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz and Bayerische Motoren > Werke AG. Now, DaimlerChrysler is preparing to expand its diesel > offerings in the U.S. > > Mercedes has already said it plans to start offering its latest clean > diesel technology, called Bluetec, in an E-Class sedan later this > fall. A different diesel engine will be offered in the M-Class and > R-Class SUV-wagons. Meanwhile, the Chrysler unit will announce in the > "near term" plans to expand its array of diesel offerings in the > Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge brands beyond the Liberty diesel, says Frank > Klegon, head of Chrysler product development. > > Mr. Klegon won't say exactly what Chrysler plans, but he points out > that the efficiency gains from diesel technology could be important to > sustaining sales in the SUV segment. Chrysler has shown at U.S. auto > shows a version of the diesel Grand Cherokee it sells in Europe. > > Volkswagen AG currently is the top seller of passenger cars with > diesel engines in the U.S. As gas prices spiked in April, sales of > VW's diesel powered Jettas, Golfs and Beetles soared. The diesel Jetta > is rated at 36 mpg city, 41 highway compared to 22 city, 30 highway > for the base five-cylinder model. More than one in five VW's sold in > April in the U.S. had a diesel engine, compared to a 14% diesel share > in 2005 and 11.8% in 2004. > > VW's diesel offerings will take a hit in 2007, because the company > hasn't outfitted 2007 models with technology to meet new clean-air > standards. But in 2008, VW's plan is to offer new diesels in virtually > all its mainstream models that are clean enough for all 50 states, > says VW of America spokesman Steve Keyes. Among the new models -- a > diesel Rabbit. > > "People are getting the idea that diesel is a viable alternative > here," Mr. Keyes says. Diesel's image is getting a boost from pop > culture icons like Willie Nelson, who promotes his BioWillie brand of > biodiesel fuel -- made from vegetable oil or animal fat -- as a way to > cut petroleum consumption. > > Behind the wheel of the Chrysler 300 CRD, the first question is, > "what's not to like?" The car's 3.0 liter V-6 diesel is quiet, except > for a pleasant rumble that makes it sound like an old school V-8. > Pickup from a stop is excellent, because big torque is this engine's > specialty. On the freeway, the 300 CRD lopes along at just under 1,800 > revolutions per minute. > > The problem is that my car probably didn't comply with U.S. clean-air > rules, and the technology to make it clean enough to meet California > or New York standards, which are tougher than the federal limits, is > "extremely challenging," says Mr. Klegon, the Chrysler product > development chief. "We know how to meet them," he says. "But at some > cost." And that cost, which he puts at around $5,000 to $6,000 all > totaled, is probably not fully recoverable from the customer. > > At Mercedes-Benz North America, Patrik Borenius, manager advanced > product planning, says the auto maker has "shown what we believe is a > technology that will meet 50-state requirements." But so far that > technology is only in production on commercial vehicles in Europe. > Mercedes has said it plans to adapt the "Adblue" technology to > passenger cars. > > Auto makers have been reluctant to ask outright for environmental > regulators to relax clean air standards. The EPA has labeled diesel > soot a carcinogen. But car makers are working feverishly to persuade > federal regulators that certain relatively low-cost treatment > technologies under development will work. Whether the renewed emphasis > on fuel conservation in Washington will make that task easier remains > to be seen. > > A breakthrough in exhaust scrubbing that clears the way for diesels in > all 50 states, plus tax breaks that offset the higher cost of diesel > engines, could spark a rush to outfit gas guzzlers with higher > mileage, longer range diesels. That could, in turn, put a new spin on > the debate about where car makers put their technology bets hybrids, > diesel or advanced gasoline technologies. > > "All of the (car makers) Japanese, European and American, are all very > bullish on diesel," says Bosch's Mr. Moulton. "Even if they're not > stating that." > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:206289 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
