Savvy Shopper: Your Next Car -- A Clean Diesel?
Fact #1: In Europe, 60 percent of the passenger cars on the road are diesel.
Fact #2: Diesel engines are 30 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline engines.
Fact #3: In the U.S., 3 percent of the passenger cars on the road are diesel.
Question: What the heck is wrong with us?
That was just one of the questions I had in mind as I left a Motor Press Guild presentation by two leading diesel experts (and advocates). As Gale Banks, an avowed "torque junkie" and diesel proponent put it: "The engine of the future is 115 years old."
So, should your next car be a diesel? Here are a few bullet points to help you decide.
Diesels are often considered alongside hybrids because a shopper looking at these two vehicle types is interested in fuel economy. In two of the three driving categories (city, highway and mixed) diesel gets better fuel efficiency, said Lars Ullrich of Robert Bosch.
For buyers looking for a green choice for transportation, diesel puts out one-tenth the emissions of a gasoline engine, Banks said. Furthermore, diesel can be made from woodchips or created by algae production.
Another factor favoring diesels is that they hold their value better over time. Ullrich said a diesel's residual value after five years was 20 to 25% higher than a gas powered engine. Diesels even beat out hybrids in this department scoring residual values that were 15 o 20% higher.
But in Banks' mind, the real reason to buy a diesel was for sheer driving pleasure. During a recent test drive to Yosemite and back in a Volkswagen TDI wagon, other cars actually had to pull over to let him pass, prompting him to observe, "Something's right with the world."
No longer are diesels "like that school bus you remember," Ullrich said.
To sell diesels in the U.S. presents a marketing challenge since, "to some people, a car is clothes that you drive." But if dealers can get buyers behind the wheel of a diesel powered car, they are likely to fall in love.
Besides the TDI, which is sold out in some markets, a new introduction is the 2010 BMW 335d.
So, next time you go car shopping forget about the stereotypes of diesels being slow and stinky. Instead, think torquey and clean.
For more information about the MPG's presentation, and an audio transcript of the meeting, please visit the MPG.
- Posted by
- Philip Reed September 14, 2009, 1:21 AM
- Permalink
- Categories:
- Car Buying, Fuel Economy, The Savvy Shopper
"In Europe, 60 percent of the passenger cars on the road are diesel."
I believe that's 60% of new car registrations are diesel. Big difference.
"Diesel engines are 30 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline engines."
Debatable. Also, how far does each get you on a barrel of oil?
"What the hell is wrong with us?"
You know the answer to this, without even bringing up the issues with diesel.
Things are changing (maybe). The world is going hybrid. The world is going EV. The world is going hydrogen. The world is going diesel. Which to choose? Don't blame Americans for not jumping all over the one you're excited about right now.
As you say, diesel engines are about 30% more efficient than gasoline engines, plus diesel fuel has 10% more energy per gallon than gasoline. Chances are, your favorite car is available outside North America, getting 30-40% better mileage than here. Certainly, your favorite auto manufacturer is selling plenty of efficient diesel cars in other markets.
In the same car with equivalent performance compared to a gasoline 'baseline', a diesel will have lower HC emmissions, lower CO emissions, lower CO2 emissions, and similar particulate emissions (diesels at least have devices to trap particulates so you know where you stand; gasoline engines don't, although that will change in the future). The only emmission that is worse with diesel, at least pump-to-wheels, is NOx. This is the real reason why diesels aren't sold here.
The tier2bin5 limit (necessary to sell in CA) for NOx is 0.04g/km. Back in the '70s, we had problems with acid rain. It was caused in part by NOx. Cars in the early '70s put out about 2.25g/km. What CA requires now is therefore 56 times less than where we started in the '70s. In that time, the number of vehicle-miles travelled has about doubled, so on a total miles driven basis, NOx is reduced 28 times. Is that enough, or too much, or just right? I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer. But here are some more facts: California's 2003 ultra-low emission vehicle limit on NOx was 0.186g/km. Modern diesels can meet this without any aftertreatment system. Aftertreatment systems are expensive, potentially detract from 'diesel durability' hence diesel resale value, and actually reduce the diesel's inherent efficiency advantage. Now, this isn't a problem in Europe (Euro V) or the rest of the world because their NOx limit is 0.2g/km or higher. We don't see a sea of diesels here because the manufacturers are reluctant or don't have the resources to commit to inventing expensive aftertreatment systems to a market that is only 3% or less diesel powered to begin with. Are you interested in being efficient? Do you want to reduce our petroleum consumption? Do you see the advantage of a fuel that maximizes energy density, is less volatile, and has a bio-alternative that is non-toxic, biodegradeable, and can be made from algae and other non-food stock? Do you want more diesel choices? You should contact you congressman and recommend an ammendment to the Clean Air Act, or more importantly the California equivalent, to allow a waiver for NOx for tier2bin5 to be set to 2003 CA ULEV levels until 2012 (or whenever Euro VI rolls out), thereafter to follow the European lead (Euro VI, VII, etc.) Such a waiver is not without precedent. In 1977 Congress delayed stricter NOx limits by four years and raised the allowable limit (pretty much what I'm talking about here).
Diesel sales in the U.S. will only increase when the domestic automakers embrace diesel instead of "expensive" premium European automakers.
Granted, the TDI Jetta is only $22K, the BMW 335d is $43K...$10K more than the base 3 series sedan. Most people aren't willing to put down that amount of money for a diesel engine.
In contrast, in Europe, there are many examples of cars under, say £10K that are diesel powered.
If I could get a car exactly like the Jetta TDI Sportwagen -- without the, shall we say, "VW ownership experience" -- then I'm in. It's a given that diesels are not big in the USA right now, but it's still a bit shocking that out of ALL the automakers, only VW is currently offering a clean diesel in a compact car.
Love the diesel!!
I feel it is also the answer going forward in many cases - and I know nothing compared to someone like 104wb.
Anyone here see the diesel powered VW L1 shown over on Inside Line today? Near 200MPG with much fewer compromises IMO.
@altimadude00:
The 335d is $10k more than the 328i, but it's also a heck of a lot faster and better equipped. Compare it with its real competition--the comparably fast, comparably well equipped gasoline 335i--and you'll see that you're really not paying anywhere near a $10k premium for the diesel engine.