In Europe Diesels Come Clean

Washington DC March 26, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that in Europe, where gas costs much more, 50% of all cars are diesel.

In the U.S., the number is less than 4%. But that could all change soon.

Changes in the supply of diesel fuel, emerging cleaner-burning technologies, and growing consumer concern over the fuel economy are creating new opportunities for diesel vehicles.

Business Week reports that J.D. Power & Associates forecasts diesel sales will nearly triple in the coming years, nabbing 11.8% of the U.S. market by 2015.

According to EPA estimates, if a third of American passenger cars ran on diesel, the U.S. could save as much as 1.4 million barrels of oil per day, about the amount of oil imported from Saudi Arabia.

In response, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have been hard at work on cleaner-burning diesel engines that reduce emissions. Mercedes says it could begin selling models here next year. Honda also made waves in 2003 by introducing a diesel-burning engine in European markets. Last fall the company said it would bring its 2.2-liter engine, dubbed the i-CTDi, to Americans, likely by 2009.