Diesel

October 7, 2008

Toyota Retreats From Full-Size Pickup Truck Sales War, Tables Diesel Tundra

Last June, as the market for full-size trucks tanked in response to high gas prices, Toyota shocked the auto industry by announcing that for $20,000 over base price buyers could purchase the full-size Tundra pickup, the midsize Tacoma pickup or the FJ Cruiser SUV with additional power and abysmal fuel economy.

Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., told Automotive News today that despite its recent zero-percent financing deals, Japan's No. 1 automaker is not going to engage Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge in their full-sized pickup sales war.

"I don't want to get stuck in the middle of Ford and Chevy battling for the No. 1 truck this year, and Dodge launching the Ram," Lentz said in an interview.

Chevrolet sold 50,428 Silverados last month, off just 3.9 percent in a plummeting segment that saw Tundra, Motor Trend's 2008 Truck of the Year, fall 60.7 percent, the Ford F-150 drop 41.6 percent and Dodge Ram off 30.9 percent.

Toyota had hoped to sell about 20,000 Tundras a month this year; September sales were just 7,696 units.

Lentz said part of the decline was an abbreviated 2008 model year from its Texas and Indiana truck plants that were temporarily shut down. With a segment forecast to be as low as 1.5 million trucks--down from a peak of 2.5 million--the pickup fight could get desperate.

Development of a diesel-engine variant of the Tundra has been tabled, Lentz reportedly told Automotive News. While the diesel has not been canceled outright, Toyota is studying whether it makes sense to enter such a small segment.

That's a big step back from Toyota telling dealers at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention last year that a diesel would arrive by 2010 or 2011.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 7, 2008, 10:18 AM
Categories:: Chevrolet, Diesel, Dodge, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Toyota

October 6, 2008

Volvo Plans Conventional, Diesel and Plug-In Hybrids, Maybe Some for U.S.

There's been a lot of electric car and hybrid news out of France in the past week as automakers hosted the media at a preview of the Paris Auto Show.

Most of the cars, though, are unlikely to see these shores as they are derivatives of European models that wouldn't meet U.S. safety standards (and, some auto executives and marketing gurus insist, consumer demands for spacious interiors) without so much added weight that their alternative powertrains would no longer be practical.

One potential exception comes from Volvo, which has been working on conventional, diesel-electric and plug-in hybrids for years now and late last week announced that it will be bringing all of the above to market.

The first to come, a micro-hybrid in 2011, isn't likely to be sold outside of Europe. But for 2012 Volvo plans a diesel-electric hybrid that will combine the company's front-wheel drive D5 turbodiesel with an electric motor to drive the rear wheels.

And then, in an as-yet unannounced year sometime after the diesel hybrid, Volvo plans to launch a plug-in hybrid rooted in the California-designed ReCharge concept (above) it showed at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 6, 2008, 1:37 PM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Diesel, Fuel Cell, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric, Volvo
Technorati Tags:: Paris Auto Show

October 1, 2008

Paris Auto Show Will Spotlight New Era's Green, Fuel-Effiicent Cars

As the world as we know it crumbles around us, with older Americans staring at shrinking pension funds, younger Americans looking at grim job and housing scenes and everyone wondering which big bank is the next to

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62-mpg diesel Golf BlueMotion concept from VW is one of the cars to be featured at Paris show.

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collapse, why there's no credit and when elected representatives will stop worrying about politics and start working for the people, the City of Lights is preparing to flick the switch on the first post-meltdown auto show.

Talk about good timing.

But the Paris Motor Show is in Europe, home of the fuel efficient small car (of course, Europe also has given us 9 mpg Lamborghinis and equally thirsty Rollers, Ferraris and big Benzes, but who's counting?), and while there will be a few exotics on display the spotlight for the next few days is going to be on the gas sippers that will be unveiled over there.

We gave you a taste a few weeks ago with Green Car Advisor's Paris preview, and today Edmunds Auto Observer brings a comprehensive look at the hybrids, electrics, diesels and other fuel-efficient cars - production and concept - that will be on display as the show prepares to open its doors.

Click here for AO's take on the Paris show, which holds its media preview Thursday and Friday and opens to the public Saturday for a 16-day run.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell October 1, 2008, 8:18 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Diesel, Fuels & Technologies, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: Paris Auto Show

U.S. Will Have Largest Biodiesel Market by 2012, Respected Research Group Says

The United States is positioned to become the single largest biodiesel market with 19 percent of consumption by 2012, according to a report released Tuesday.

Menlo Park, California-based SRI Consulting said the industry grew 50 percent from 2002-2007 -- the highest growth in the chemical industry -- and is poised to grow at 30 percent between 2007 and 2012.

It will be followed by Germany and France. New and large markets for biodiesel are expected to emerge in China and India, since the governments of both countries have announced major biodiesel initiatives.

SRI projects a slower pace of growth for the global biodiesel industry due to market uncertainties such as the ongoing fuels-versus-food debate, rising raw material costs, changing regulatory environment, a slowing global economy and the current financial crisis.

"An important development over the last several years has been the shift in global biodiesel patterns. Only five years ago Europe was a dominant player, with 83 percent of capacity. By 2007 the European share had declined to about 46 percent as North America and Asia grew to 23 percent and 19 percent respectively," SRI said.

SRI is a business research service for the global chemical industry.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett October 1, 2008, 7:57 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, China, Diesel, Energy Companies, India

September 30, 2008

Eco-Driving Enthusiasts Get Guinness World Record 58.82 MPG Around the U.S.

Eco-driving enthusiasts John and Helen Taylor set a Guinness World Record this month for lowest fuel consumption while visiting the 48 contiguous United States by averaging 58.82 miles per gallon during their 20-day road trip in a stock 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

The couple smashed the previous record drive of 51.58 mpg -- and did so driving a diesel vehicle with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rating of 30 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.

The Taylors attribute their vastly superior fuel economy to driving instructions that can be found on the "Taylors' Tips" page of their Website.

Shell provided the 11.04 tanks of Shell Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel the couple burned during their 9,419-mile journey and VW lent them the Jetta. The couple averaged 853 miles per tank.

If you think 58.82 mpg is impressive, you might like to know that the Taylors averaged 90.75 mpg while setting a world record earlier this year for lowest fuel consumption on the coastal road route of Australia. They achieved that mileage in a Peugeot 308 HDi Diesel.

The couple has been breaking fuel-consumption records since 1982.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 30, 2008, 8:12 AM
Categories:: Diesel, Fuel Economy, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

'Green Challenge' Debuts With Hybrid Racer at Saturday's American Le Mans Series

When the American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta wraps up this weekend, one of the trophies to be awarded will be for the winner of a new "Green Challenge" race within the race.

Favorites are the series' clean-diesel cars, but the first hybrid race car (left) since the Panoz Q9 GT hybrids of the late 1990s also is in the running.

The Green Challenge is a new contest in which cars in the race are judged on green criteria including fuel consumption and total environmental impact.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 30, 2008, 3:05 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Ethanol, Hybrid, Plug-ins and Electric
Technorati Tags:: American Le Mans Series Green Challenge

September 29, 2008

Electrically-Driven Supercharger Reportedly Ready for Production

Controlled Power Technologies, a British startup formed by automotive executives to focus on carbon-reduction solutions, says its electric supercharger is ready for production and the company is seeking OEM customers.

Unlike mechanical superchargers and turbochargers, CPT says in a statement, the electric supercharger features a near-instantaneous air delivery system and costs considerably less (although no price was given).

The supercharger is a perfect product for "extreme engine downsizing" -- reducing the size of an engine by 50 percent or more -- according to its maker.

Shrinking an engine is one way to reduce a vehicle's fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions, but it has the unwanted effect of reducing horsepower as well.

Superchargers and turbochargers allow an engine to deliver bursts of power on demand, offsetting the horsepower shortage that plague most small engines.

Controlled Power Technologies claims its electric supercharger not only provides power when called upon, but can also help reduce soot and particulate emissions from diesel engines.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 29, 2008, 11:58 AM
Categories:: Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy

September 27, 2008

Senate OKs $25 Billion in Loans to Help Automakers Produce Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

After spending years and hundreds of millions of dollars fighting governmental efforts to get them to produce fuel-efficient vehicles, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler today scored $7.5 billion in taxpayer funds needed to guarantee $25 billion in low-interest loans to help the American automakers produce fuel-efficient cars and trucks.

By a 78-12 vote cast during a rare Saturday session, the Senate passed a $634-billion spending bill containing the loan guarantee and sent the measure on to President Bush, who was expected to sign it. The bill is needed to keep the government operating beyond the current budget year, which ends Tuesday.

The automakers will get up to 25 years to repay the loans. Because they have sub-investment grade credit, the automakers would save more than $100 million per $1 billion borrowed in lending costs. They could also ask the Energy Department to defer repayment for up to five years.

Congress appropriated 7.5 billion taxpayer dollars to cover the costs of the loans, including the risk of default.

GM and Ford lost nearly $25 billion in the second quarter of this year, and along with Chrysler are closing plants, shrinking their work force and slashing spending.

The manufacturers and their domestic suppliers say they will use the money to offer a broader array of gas-electric vehicles, more fuel-efficient engines and plug-in electric cars that could be on the market within two years. It's unclear how the money will be divided.

The loans could be available by mid-2009, although legal and administrative procedures could delay them until 2010.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 27, 2008, 11:54 PM
Categories:: Chrysler, Diesel, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Hybrid, Legislation, Plug-ins and Electric

September 23, 2008

AltCar Expo 2008 to Showcase Alternative Vehicles, Tech and Climate Panels

Unlike most of the vehicles there, it won't be running, but a production model of General Motors Corp.'s Volt series hybrid car (left) will be on hand for viewing at AltCar Expo 2008 this weekend in Santa Monica, Calif.

The two-day event, now in its third year, is one of the nation's premier showcases for alternatives to the conventional gasoline-burning automobile.

Organizers say more than 100 vehicles - cars, trucks, scooters and 'cycles with natural gas, battery-electric, hydrogen fuel-cell electric, compressed air, biodiesel, flex-fuel and hybrid propulsion systems - will be on hand, several available for test drives.

The expo, to be held Friday and Saturday at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, drew more than 10,000 attendees last year.

In addition to the vehicle displays, the event features numerous displays by alternative energy providers and proponents; a series of seminars addressing climate change and transportation and energy trends and featuring panelists from government, industry and advocacy groups.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 23, 2008, 3:02 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Biofuels, Diesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Fuel Cell, Fuels & Technologies, Hybrid, Hydrogen, Motorcycles, Natural Gas, Plug-ins and Electric, Solar, Transportation Alternatives
Technorati Tags:: AltCarExpo 2008; Alternative Fuels; Santa Monica Alternative Car Expo

September 22, 2008

Ethanol Backers Plan Ad Campaign To Tout Controversial Alternative Fuel

Hard on the heels of energy billionaire T. Boone Pickins' $58 million push for adoption of natural gas as the nation's preferred alternative to gasoline, the ethanol industry is planning its own lobbying campaign.

Renewable Fuels Association, the ethanol industry trade group, plans to debut pair of television ads this week aimed at including the plant-based alcohol fuel in the national debate on energy security.

Greenwire, a subscription-only environmental issues news service, reports that the ethanol group has filmed separate 30-second ads and purchased time on cable news channels in the Washington and New York City markets.

The decision to mount the campaign was made after a recent study by the international management consulting firm Accenture suggested that neither consumers nor politicians in the U.S. are sold on the fuel.

That's largely because ethanol today is made from corn (and, in Brazil and many other tropical countries, from sugar cane) and there is widespread belief that increased production of the fuel has driven corn prices -and the prices of many foods based on corn and other grains - through the roof.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell September 22, 2008, 10:11 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel, Ethanol, Natural Gas
Technorati Tags:: Alternative Fuels

September 16, 2008

Hurricane Ike Closes Largest Biodiesel Refinery in U.S. for Six to Eight Weeks

GreenHunter Energy Inc. said Monday it expects its Houston, Texas, biodiesel refinery to be out of service for six to eight weeks due to damage from Hurricane Ike.

The plant (right, pre-storm) can produce 105 million gallons of biodiesel per year, making it the largest biodiesel refinery in the country.

Located on 20 acres beside the Houston Ship Channel, it suffered floodwater damage and lost power when Ike came ashore early Saturday along the Texas Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rains.

The local utility in Houston, Center Point Energy, is expected to restore electricity and natural gas service to the location in six to eight weeks. In the short term, generators will provide temporary interruptible power.

GreenHunter can produce biodiesel from animal fats, vegetable oils or a blend of the two at the zero-emissions refinery.

The site was originally home to a waste-oil recycling facility owned by Channel Refining Corporation. GreenHunter bought it in early 2007 and converted it into a biodiesel plant.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 16, 2008, 7:11 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Diesel, Energy Companies, Fuels & Technologies

Los Angeles Trucking Industry To Get New Source of Clean Biodiesel

The hordes of diesel trucks helping to clog Los Angeles freeways, and Los Angeles area residents' lungs, will soon be getting a new source of commercial biodiesel.

Tellurian Biodiesel and fast-food industry supplier Golden State Foods are jointly launching a new biodiesel storage and distribution terminal under an agreement forged earlier this year.

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High sulfur content in diesel derived from crude oil is responsible for much of the black smoke that pours from many trucks' exhaust stacks. Clean biodiesel can help reduce such pollution.
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The companies said they see a growing market for clean biodiesel to help meet the state's demand for low sulfur fuels and to help in the nationwide effort to reduce dependence on imported crude oil.

The biodiesel venture, located at an environmental waste collection storage and rail facility southeast of downtown L.A., is scheduled to begin operating later this month.

It will provide B99, or 99 percent biodiesel, to fuel jobbers and other wholesale customers throughout Southern California.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 16, 2008, 4:45 AM
Categories:: Biofuels, Diesel
Technorati Tags:: GoldenState Foods

Chevy Orlando: A Seven-Seat, 2.0-Liter Turbodiesel Van-o-Wagon

GM was still hoarding pictures of its Chevrolet Orlando concept when we posted our advance peek at the greenest vehicles making a bow at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.

But now the pics are out (funny how they managed to keep these hidden when photos of the production model of the Volt plug-in hybrid being officially introduced later this morning were leaking all over the place in the last few weeks), and we're bringing 'em to you, along with a little more detail about the crossover concept.

General Motors is slotting the Orlando into its Chevrolet lineup, where a production version of the five-door tall wagon-SUV-van combo could serve as a large family mover or a sizable cargo carrier, or both.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); John O'Dell September 16, 2008, 3:12 AM
Categories:: Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Diesel, General Motors
Technorati Tags:: Chevrolet Orlando Concept Photos

New Generation Biofuels Signs Deal To Build Synthetic Diesel Refinery

Florida startup New Generation Biofuels said today that it plans to build a refinery in Baltimore, Maryland, that will begin producing synthetic diesel fuel next year.

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Oil from plants such as this field of canola can be turned into synthetic diesel.

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Lake Mary, Florida-based New Generation told subscription-only E&E News that it has signed a lease with Atlantic Terminaling to build a commercial-scale refinery on the banks of Chesapeake Bay.

The refinery -- New Generation's first commercial-scale facility -- is to be capable of producing 25 million gallons of the petroleum-free diesel fuel annually from vegetable oil, animal fat and other feedstocks, E&E reported.

The low-sulfur fuel would be produced using a proprietary technology and would be sold in the mid-Atlantic region for use in power plants, industrial boilers and marine diesel engines, Phil Wallis, New Generation's chief marketing officer, told the energy news service

"This is a renewable fuel of second-generation nature," Wallis said. "It's effectively just veggie oil or other renewable feedstocks with proprietary additives."

New Generation could increase the modular refinery's capacity to 50 million gallons a year is there is sufficient demand, said Wallis.

New Generation signed its first sales contract in June -- to supply Houston-based Dynegy Inc. with 1.7 million gallons of synthetic diesel fuel annually -- but has hopes of expanding nationally.

John O'Dell, Senior Editor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 16, 2008, 3:02 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Biofuels, Diesel
Technorati Tags:: Biodiesel Refinery

September 15, 2008

Preview: Green Is the Fashion at Paris Auto Show This Year

By Nick Kurczewski, Contributor

Paris, fashion capital of the world, usually has more influence on what hangs in your closet than what's parked in your driveway.

But from October 4th through the 19th, when the doors to the Paris auto show are open to the public, the automobile takes center stage in the City of Lights, and big fuel economy numbers will be as essential to automakers as little red dresses or neatly tailored black suits are to the fashion world.

Car manufacturers will be displaying everything from hybrids, such as the new Honda Insight, to electric cars and fuel-sipping diesel and gas-powered models like the new Ford Ka and Toyota iQ (above) city cars.

To help whet your appetites, Green Car Advisor offers a look at the cars that are set to make the biggest impression in this distinctively enviro-chic auto show:

Honda Insight

The newest hybrid from Honda represents the Japanese company's most determined effort at cracking Toyota's stranglehold on this increasingly important market.

The five-passenger, four-door hatchback uses an improved version of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. Better fuel economy, a lower center of gravity and reduced cost are said to be the main benefits.

The Insight is expected to be cheaper than its rival, the next-generation Toyota Prius, when both cars go on sale early next year. Our one complaint: Why did Honda feel the need to copy the potatolike profile of the Prius?

Toyota iQ

If the Insight is Honda's take on a Prius fighter, the iQ is Toyota's attempt at outsmarting the Smart Fortwo.

The iQ is slightly longer than the Smart, and the Japanese city car offers two tiny rear seats, whereas the Fortwo -- as the name makes clear -- is strictly a two-seater.

The iQ goes on sale in Japan in October and in Europe later this year.

Will Toyota bring the iQ Stateside? The company's not saying, but with the sales success of the Smart Fortwo in America, it would be pretty dumb not to consider the idea. And Toyota's not noted for dumb.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 15, 2008, 3:31 AM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Auto Shows, Chevrolet, Diesel, Ford, General Motors, Green Vehicles, Honda, Hybrid, Nissan, Plug-ins and Electric, Renault, Smart, Toyota
Technorati Tags:: New Green Cars

September 12, 2008

A Comprehensive Look at U.S. Tax Incentives for Buyers of Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

Some blogs are reporting today that the U.S. government is now offering tax incentives for five diesel models, three from Mercedes-Benz and two from Volkswagen.

We brought you that information weeks ago, when it had just come out of the oven, so to speak.

But in case you missed it, here it is again, in a wrap-up of all the fuel-efficient vehicles that are now eligible for U.S. tax credits.

Just click on the charts below for easily readable charts of what's available.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 12, 2008, 12:26 PM
Categories:: Alternative Fuels, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Daimler, Diesel, Emissions, Ford, Fuel Economy, General Motors, Honda, Hybrid, Legislation, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Natural Gas, Saturn, Toyota, Volkswagen

BMW Executive Confirms Automaker Is Developing 4-Cylinder Turbo Diesel Engine; In Strange Twist, He Says U.S. Delivery Will Hinge on Outcome of Presidential Race

BMW's North American President Jim O'Donnell, in a videotaped interview with Business Week, has confirmed rumors that the Bavarian automaker is developing a new 4-cylinder motor, one that's diesel-powered, turbocharged and will outperform the current 6-cylinder N52 engine (right), which debuted in 2004 inside the BMW E63 630Ci.

In the interview, O'Donnell (below) said:

"We are working on a new, 4-cylinder engine that will deliver stronger performance in terms of acceleration than the current 6-cylinder, that will deliver lower emissions and will give you better fuel economy; so it's a win, win, win situation. So this will be a high-tech 4-cylinder engine, obviously turbocharged. We can't really confirm or deny when it is going to come into the U.S. -- if it's going to come into the U.S. -- until after the [presidential] election and the government makes it clear what is going to be the platform that manufacturers have got to work to."

Jim-O'Donnell.jpg We're not sure what to make of that last sentence, because if what he's saying about the engine is true, it shouldn't have trouble meeting America's fuel-economy standards.

Or is he saying BMW will have this hot new engine, but won't export it to the U.S. unless John McCain is elected president? Or unless Barack Obama wins the contest? Why would that be? The videotape ends with "got to work to"; if he explained himself moments later, whatever he said got left on the cutting-room floor, so to speak.

Or perhaps we've got it all wrong. Perhaps his comments were primarily intended to take some of the attention away from Mercedes' announcement earlier this week that it will launch a new generation of super-efficient diesel engines later this year, starting with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder "BlueEfficiency" powerplant.

Mercedes' turbocharged engine has a 7.0-second acceleration time from zero to 62 miles per hour, a top sped of 155 mph and yet gets a claimed 45 miles per gallon on the European test cycle; it'll be substantially less under the EPA test in the U.S. Still, that engine has people talking, certainly more than O'Donnell likes.

So, is this a case of German luxury rivals now competing for downsized-engine primacy? Could be, given that smaller engines are going to be the norm not only in Europe but in the U.S. and Canada as well as governments on both sides of the Atlantic require better fuel efficiency and fewer greenhouse-gas emissions from domestic and foreign automakers alike.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (2); Scott Doggett September 12, 2008, 12:05 AM
Categories:: BMW, Daimler, Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mercedes-Benz

September 11, 2008

Subaru Selects Forester (Europe Only, Sorry) For Beefier, Cleaner New Diesel

VELDEN, Austria - Subaru is about to drop its 2.0-liter boxer diesel engine into the European-spec 2009 Subaru Forester, and the company invited a contingent of U.S. media here to drive it.

We should say right up front that there are no firm plans to put this four-cylinder turbodiesel into U.S.-bound Foresters.

Indeed, company officials tell us this vehicle would not meet California emissions standards without the costly addition of an AdBlue urea tank, and Subaru of America isn't ready to commit to that or to bring in cars it can't sell in all 50 states.

Even without the urea trank to cut down toxic emissions of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, the diesel Forester, which is badged "2.0D," still has a more robust, closed-type particulate filter than the open-type filter in the diesel Legacy and Outback we've driven previously.

Subaru says you could take the Forester for a Sunday spin of 1,016 kilometers - 630 miles - on a single, 64-liter (almost 17-gallon) tank.

That's good for a rating of 6.3 liters per 100 kilometers, or 38.5 mpg, on the European test cycle.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (8); John O'Dell September 11, 2008, 10:50 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Subaru
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Subaru Forester 2.0D

September 10, 2008

Mercedes to Launch New 'BlueEfficiency' Diesel

By John O'Dell, Senior Editor

More good news on the diesel front: Mercedes-Benz says it will launch a new generation of super-efficient diesel engines later this year, starting with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder "BlueEfficiency" powerplant.

The new diesel engine will debut in a limited production C-Class sedan to be called the "C 250 CDI BlueEfficiency Prime Edition."

(And while the engine may be efficient, the nameplate sure isn't. Imagine how much energy is consumed stamping out badges with all that verbage on 'em!)

The turbocharged engine, which uses high-pressure, common-rail direct injection, churns out 204 horsepower (150 kilowatts) and, as is a diesel's tendency, tons and tons of torque - 369 pound-feet, or 500 Newton-meters.

That's enough for a 7.0-second acceleration time from zero to 62 mph (100 kilometers per hour) and a top sped of 155 mph (250 kph), according to Mercedes.

Overall fuel economy is estimated at 5.2 liters per 100 kilometers or about 45 miles per gallon on the European test cycle, which typically gives vehicles higher mileage than they'd achieve under the EPA test in the U.S.

And the reason we're providing the stats in metric measure is that the car will be aimed first at European markets and only 5,000 will be produced.

There's no word yet on whether the new engine will ever show up in the U.S., but Mercedes drops a hint by saying that while not yet meeting tough U.S. diesel emissions standards, the 250 CDI "has the potential to comply."

Mercedes said in a release today that it believes the engine is powerful and responsive enough to be "a sensible alternative to the higher-displacement six-cylinder engines in future."

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); John O'Dell September 10, 2008, 12:48 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Mercedes-Benz
Technorati Tags:: Mercedes Benz BlueEfficiency

September 9, 2008

VW Says Jetta TDI Diesel Sales Even Better Than Expected

Volkswagen has big plans for the 2009 Jetta TDI, but sales of the new clean diesel model that debuted in the U.S. last month may be outstripping the company's best estimates.

"It certainly met and probably exceeded our expectations," Mark Barnes, chief operating officer of Volkswagen of America Inc., said in an interview with Bloomberg News. He wouldn't say, however, what those expections were.

Diesel Jetta sales in the U.s. last month totaled 2,417 - and the Jetta TDI didn't go on sale til Aug. 18. Total Jetta sales for the month rose to 11,217, with the diesel model accounting for 21.5 percent.

That could rise to 35 percent with a full month of sales in September, Barnes said.

VW has said it intends total U.S. sales of all of its models to top the1-million mark by 2018 and that diesel models will play a big part in the increase, which would more than triple last year's combined sales of the automaker's Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley models.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); John O'Dell September 9, 2008, 4:21 PM
Categories:: Audi, BMW, Diesel, Fuel Economy, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen
Technorati Tags:: 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Mazda Unveils Technologies That Will Make Its Vehicles Substantially Greener

By Scott Doggett, Contributor

Mazda Motor Corp. announced today that it has developed three technologies that will make the vehicles it manufactures considerably greener.

The Japanese automaker says its unique idling stop system -- Smart Idle Stop System -- improves fuel economy by about 10 percent in areas where vehicles frequently stop at traffic lights or in heavy traffic.

Conventional idling stop systems restart a vehicle's engine with an electric motor using exactly the same process as when the engine is started normally.

Mazda's system, on the other hand, restarts the engine through combustion. It initiates engine restart by injecting fuel directly into the cylinder while the engine is stopped, and igniting it to generate downward piston force.

In order to restart the engine by combustion, the pistons must be stopped at exactly the correct position to create the right balance of air volume in each cylinder. The Smart Idle Stop System, Mazda says, provides precise control over the piston positions during engine shutdown to accomplish this.

The system indexes each cylinder and initiates fuel injection before the engine begins to rotate. This enables the engine to be restarted in just a third of a second, or roughly half the time of a conventional electric motor idling stop system.

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (0); Scott Doggett September 9, 2008, 12:48 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Fuel Economy, Mazda

Ford to Sell 56 MPG Diesel-Propelled Ka in Europe and Elsewhere, but Not the U.S.

We've been writing about some wonderfully fuel-efficient vehicles lately that won't be available in the U.S., among them the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic, Honda's Fit Hybrid and Volkswagen's Golf BlueMotion Diesel.

Now we're pained to report that Ford today announced that it will be manufacturing a diesel-powered KA that will achieve an estimated 56 miles per gallon -- and it won't be coming to America, either. Same deal with the second-generation gasoline-propelled Ka.

As Ford spokesman Alan Hall told us: "It is a product in our global product portfolio, so it is something that we have access to as we continue to monitor the marketplace, but we do not have plans at the moment."

We can blame the weak dollar for that. And we can blame the economic policies of the Bush administration for the weak dollar.

Back to the Ka, the gas engine will be a 1.2-liter 69 horsepower unit achieving 60.3 mpg while the Ka gets a diesel for first time with a 1.3-liter unit generating 75 horsepower.

The gas engine reduces fuel consumption by 21 percent compared to 1.3-liter unit in the first-generation Ka.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 9, 2008, 10:40 AM
Categories:: Diesel, Ford, Fuel Economy

September 8, 2008

VW Unveils 62 MPG Diesel Golf Concept; Americans, Don't Get Your Hopes Up

Volkswagen today unveiled a concept of its next-generation Golf, equipped with a BlueMotion diesel engine capable of achieving a combined 74 miles per gallon in European fuel-economy trials.

The U.S. EPA's fuel-economy estimate would be quite a bit lower -- about 62 mpg -- but that's still much better than, say, the mid- to high-40s of the fuel-sipping Toyota Prius hybrid.

The car is powered by a 1.6-liter TDI common-rail diesel engine developing 103 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. It can reportedly reach 62 mph from rest in a respectable 11.3 seconds before going on to a top speed of 117 mph.

The BlueMotion label represents the most efficient model in each of Volkswagen's passenger car ranges. As with all other BlueMotion models, this one has been tweaked aerodynamically, fitted with low-rolling resistance tires and mechanically optimized for fuel efficiency.

The production version is scheduled to go on sale in Europe in mid-2009. Unfortunately, due to the weakness of the dollar, Americans won't likely see it in showrooms at all and will have to make do with the standard Golf TDI with the 110-horsepower engine that VW says returns 52 mpg.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Posted by: Permalink | Comments (1); Scott Doggett September 8, 2008, 4:54 PM
Categories:: Diesel, Emissions, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, Tires, Toyota, Volkswagen

Round 'em Up, Move 'em Out, Round 'em Up ... Audi to Take TDIs Cross Country

Beginning October 6, Audi will demonstrate the fuel efficiency of its new clean-diesel vehicles by driving a herd of them from New York City to Los Angeles via Chicago and Denver.

Included in the caravan will be 23 TDI vehicles that will be driven by more than 180 motorists along the way, including plenty of heavy-footed autowriters. But they'll be competing for ecodriving -- not speed -- honors.

Among the cross-country vehicles will be the diesel variants of the Q7 and Q5, and the A4 with the 3.0-liter TDI V6 and the A3 with the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI used in the new VW Jetta.

Of all the diesel models shown off in this here convoy, only the Q7 will be available in the U.S. -- at least initially -- starting in early 2009. Due to its minimal emissions, it will be available for purchase in all 50 states.

To whet our appetites, Audi provided the photos appearing here. We don't know about you, but it works for us.