Unlike European motorists, the vast majority of U.S. car buyers prefer their vehicles’ engines to consume gasoline and not diesel. Across the pond, diesel-powered models account for half of all vehicle sales, reaching at times as high as 70 percent of the market in countries like Italy and France.
Residents of the Old Continent have been choosing diesel over gasoline models for a very obvious reason: a diesel engine is on average 40 percent more efficient than a gasoline unit.
With the emissions problems that plagued previous generation diesel engines now solved and the added benefit of low-end torque, which is quite useful in real world driving, opting for a diesel is the obvious choice when it comes to everyday models.
Manufacturers are also investing heavily on diesel technology. Even Porsche - of all makers, offers diesel versions of its Panamera and Cayenne models. BMW recently rolled out M-Performance badged diesel models (albeit with three turbos). But it’s not power they’re after, but the need to comply with fuel consumption and CO2 emission regulations.
Some carmakers have already announced that they will bring diesel versions of their models in America. A Cruze with a 160HP 2.0-liter turbodiesel under its hood and a combined fuel consumption of 5.2 lt/100 km (42 mpg US) on the European cycle will hit Chevy's American showrooms in early 2013 – around the same time as the 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D Mazda CX-5 crossover and the Cayenne 3.0-liter diesel.
Last year, diesel-powered models sales increased by an impressive 27.4 percent in the States. The bad news is that they were mostly German cars (BMW, Mercedes-Benz and VW) and their overall share in the new car market is just 3.0 percent.
For most manufacturers, though, this side of the Atlantic remains strictly a gasoline territory. Mercedes-Benz, for example, introduced two hybrid versions of the E-Class mid-size luxury sedan. They share the same electric motor and battery pack, but under the hood, one of them has a gasoline engine and the other a diesel. Although the diesel hybrid has a fuel consumption of 56.0 mpg (on the EU cycle) and the gasoline version manages 27 mpg (CAFE standards), only the second will be available on this side of the Atlantic.
At a time when the administration is introducing a 54.5 mpg CAFE standard for 2025, one would expect that more carmakers would change their stance of keeping diesels out of the U.S. But it looks unlikely that they will.
“Yes, diesels have a substantial advantage over gasoline engines”, says John German, a senior fellow with the International Council on Clean Transportation think tank. “And it’s puzzling why there are not more of them in use in the United States.”
Mazda North America product development engineer Dave Coleman has a reasonable explanation. “Their benefits are not immediately obvious to U.S. consumers. It requires some arithmetic and a calculator. The pump price of diesel is higher than gasoline – higher even than premium gas.”
But Coleman has an answer for that, too: “The diesel engine costs more do build, so it’s more expensive to buy. So you have to calculate what your savings will be over years of driving.”
Surely, though, Americans can do the math and grasp the concept of getting at least 40 percent more mileage out of a single tank. Yes, diesels cost, on average, US$2,700 more than gasoline versions of the same model.
At the same time, they are buying hybrids at twice the rate. And these cost an average of US$6,300 more than gasoline-engine cars. Therefore, the sticker price argument falls apart.
The real problem is the price they have to pay at the fuel pump. Whereas in Europe diesel is usually a bit cheaper, in the States a gallon of gasoline costs on average US$3.39 compared to US$3.85 for a gallon of diesel.
The difference wouldn’t be that high if the U.S. government didn’t impose a higher federal tax on diesel fuel than on gasoline and the refineries weren’t willing to export refined diesel to Europe where it is in high demand.
Story References: Autonews
24 Comments:
Don't forget NOx emissions of diesel engines. Even if CO2 emissions are lower, you have to consider NOx, which is much more hazardous to human health. So for city driving, prefer an hybrid version.
Diesel is the logical next step in the US as we are still hellbent on piston engine, loud exhaust pipes (hell, the diesel pickups today get ear bleeding exhaust slapped on them the minute they leave the dealer's lot) and the immediate fuel choices. Future, we don't need no stink'n future! Besides, isn’t the world ending this year?
Twenty years ago diesel fuel was around the same price as gasoline. I know - I drove a diesel truck across the country. Diesel fuel was also a lot less available than gasoline. Now where I live in the NE US it's a dollar more a gallon. Because of taxes, in Europe both were a lot more expensive, leading people to look at diesels for superior fuel economy. And of course in the past diesels were noisy and emitted particulates that were even visible. I guess this has been addressed, but particulates are probably much worse for human health than all the gaseous pollutants from burning gasoline.
Years ago GM decided to market diesels, and I believe their diesel V8's were adapted from gas V8's. It was back when diesels emitted a lot of visible particulates. Also a lot of them failed way prematurely because of underengineering of the engine. This did not help the reputation of diesels in the US. Or following a Mercedes diesel with the tail end covered in soot, emitting a cloud of smoke from the exhaust.
If diesel fuel cost the same as regular unleaded there would be a lot more interest in the US.
Hmm is this really true: "higher federal tax on diesel fuel than on gasoline"?
Diesel fuel is also used for heating homes and that drives diesel prices up in winter.
Note that in Germany diesel fuel is subsidized. As a matter of fact diesel fuel is cheaper there than premium. EU wants to stop that to reduce CO2 but it will be a long battle since obviously German carmakers don't want to lose sales and their hybrids are not as efficient yet and considerably more expensive as well.
I think the $2700 is misleading since rarely can you buy a base diesel model. For instance the Jetta TDI starts 6K higher at $23K. Also the hybrid premium is incorrect. At least it's for the Camry and Fusion hybrid.
Shouldn't diesel be cheaper that other fuel because it is less refined?
In the northeast, diesel is about 40 cents more per gallon then 87 octane.
I think most people don't want to have a diesel car because of the idiots in the diesel pickups with open exhaust that people leave running when they go into the store.
NOx and particles are still valid concerns, gazoil also cost more to produce.And then you'll realize how Diesel is still much more noisy: example in Paris, they get more noise than NYC with it's crazy higher traffic jams.
At $3.39 a gallon I wouldn't care about fuel consumption either... It's $7 a gallon in my country that gets you thinking.
I drive a petrol car. I think petrol is still better than diesel in every way: cheaper to buy, usually cheaper to maintain, and diesels are stinky, low revving laggy and noisy. The only real reason people here buy diesels is because they use less fuel, and their fuel is even cheaper. In other words, people drive diesels because they HAVE to due to ridiculously high petrol prices.
There is, however, a growing number of people I meet that say diesels are better due to higher torque, and they say (manuals are still vastly more common than autos) ''you don't have to shift so much, you have to rev petrol engines constantly.'' An argument, invalid in US, since here most petrol engines are sub- or around two liters, and in America two liters is about... nothing. Compare a proper, big petrol engine to a normal diesel and all their arguments go away. And as for constant shifting goes... I can drive my 2.4 V6 in 5th gear from 20 mph on... can you do that in a diesel? Who needs to shift often now?
Stick to petrol power America, do yourself a favor... and help us poor Europeans get our petrol prices down, so we, too, can enjoy the sweetness of smooth petrol engines in the future...
In Europe, the tax on Diesel is less than the tax on gasoline - so, diesel fuel is less expensive. In the US, our government see fit to tax Diesel more than gasoline - so, Diesel fuel is more expensive. I wonder who is paying whom?
cause americans are less green than europeans
I recently visited my VW dealer to test drive the new diesel Passat. The salesman told me that unless I drove it on the freeway every day, it would not perform properly and would need repairs. Is this true? Is so, its no wonder that diesel cars are viewed with doubt.
I live in the uk and drive a diesel accord which is not stinky, laggy or noisy. you do have to change gear to keep the engine in its torque range but the gearing at for example 70 mph is such that the engine is running at 2000 rpm where most of the torque is developed. you can however overtake on 2 lane roads in 6th gear although you wouldnt normally do this. below 6o i tend to stay in 5th. if you do higher mileage deisels are worthwhile offer much more torque and are generally quiet at most engine speeds.
also, don't forget the horrible noise diesels make. nobody wants their car sounding like a tractor. i walked by a guy starting his bmw 6-series and it made me laugh when i heard the noise... just doesn't suit the car at all.
Despite some taboos that are still strong to the average Joe, diesels are still a good option. No wonder the Cummins B-Series 4-cylinder nowadays are facing an increased popularity among light truck and SUV owners as a replacement for gasser V8's...
http://engineeringworkarounds.blogspot.com/2011/07/diesel-engines-some-taboos-still-around.htmlAlso, makes more sense in a "green" point of view to use a vehicle that is easier to adapt to use alternative fuels, like diesels, than a gasoline-powered hybrid that also carries a large amount of hazardous chemicals in its traction battery packs.
I'll be honest, I was in a bit of a bad mood when i wrote my previous comment... But I stand by most of what i said. I am, however, willing to admit that the torque of a diesel engine is nice, but on challenging roads I have struggled many times to keep the diesel in the right gear, and I'm not talking about small engines, they were 2 liter+... And it's not about common gear changes, it's just a stupid argument I've heard countless times, it's about short power span they have. Drop below 1500 revs and you are not going anywhere. Go over 3500 and you only have 500 revs left. I don't know, it's just nicer with a petrole engine...
I still don't like the lag, the noise (even if it's quiet, it still rattles), but i don't really mind the smell :) I understand that, however i might argue and rant, prices and relatively high miles i put on my car will force me to buy diesel. And that makes me sad. I just hope I'll be able to buy 3.0+, that I'd be willing to live with :)
Because Europe guys are smarter than Burger-head.
No, its not true, i drive a Vauxhall Astra company car and have done over 20,000 miles each year for the last 4 years, driving over every type of road an i can confirm what he told you is hogswash. I do believe that on some of the VAG group cars the diesel particulate filter can become clogged if only very short trips are made, but to clear it all you have to do is drive at a decent speed for a short space of time. What he probably ment was that you wont get the best savings from a diesel if all your going to do is short runs around town, lots of motorway (freeway) driving will see you get much higher mpg figures over petrol cars with ease.
Obviously not all of them.
Only the Basques?
Because some go MC Donald's and drink Aspartame soda.
let me guess they didn't have any in stock and just wanted you to get the gas version
anyone know what car that is in the image?
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