Diesel Mania
We are certainly starting to see the dawn of the new age of the diesel in North America.
The anticipated expansion of clean diesel cars and light trucks is driven by many factors, most notably the arrival of diesel engines held to the same emissions standards as gasoline-powered engines.
The nationwide introduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel in October 2006, 97 percent cleaner than previous diesel blends, has enabled manufacturers to engineer the world's cleanest diesel vehicles. Nearly a dozen automakers have announced plans to sell clean diesel versions of popular cars, pickups and SUVs in the U.S. by the end of this decade.
But we certainly have a lot of catching up to do to come close to our European brethren.
Fewer than 4% of cars sold in the US are diesel powered.
In France diesels are in an estimated 60 percent of new cars sold; in Austria, it's 70 percent or more.
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In Detroit, January usually means gray skies. But this January the predominant color is green, since the 2008 North American International Auto Show was seeking to answer the big question “Which shades of green auto technology are going to be ‘in style’ for the future?”
We saw that clean diesel is near the front of the pack. This year, twelve auto manufacturers will make at least thirteen firm diesel model introductions and announcements, along with unveiling four future diesel concepts, in half a dozen market segments. Nearly twenty diesel vehicles were on display at the Detroit auto show — not too shabby for a 100-year-old technology.
It’s easy to see why diesel embodies the true meaning of the color green: cleaning up the emissions has brought diesel into harmony with the environment. Harmony means an effective balance of competing attributes: fuel efficiency, low emissions, performance, outstanding driving experience, and value for investment. By eliminating all the things consumers never liked about diesel (slow, smelly and smoky) and replacing those with things they will like (fast, clean and fun), diesel is a fresh alternative for the future.
Diesel is also green because it saves greenbacks in the long run – it pays you back over time in higher resale values, less fuel consumption and greater performance.
The buzz about green technologies is big, and so are the stakes. Some technologies were quickly embraced as green. Other technologies are going to have to earn it the hard way — by proving themselves at every step of the way in the face of unrelenting scrutiny.
We’re betting that this fresh new choice — clean diesel — can earn its share of success through good old-fashioned hard work. Bring it on.
Allen Schaeffer
Executive Director
Diesel Technology Forum