Hybrid hype meets diesel

By: Drivers.com staff

Date: Wednesday, 01. August 2007

During the past year of soaring gasoline prices, hybrid-fuel cars have been touted as our saviour from high fuel costs. But diesel engines may be as good, or even better, some say.

Diesel fuel engines got a bit of a splash recently at the International Auto Show in Detroit. Five automakers, including BMW, GM and Nissan, revealed plans to introduce fuel-saving diesel engines in cars and trucks.

Diesel engine cars have been soaring in popularity in Europe for more than a decade. However, in North America, a flirtation with 'dirty diesels' in the 1970s gave the breed a bad name. It's taken a long time for them to make a comeback but that comeback seems to be in the works now, spurred by soaring gasoline prices.

The diesel engine, which ignites its fuel-air mixture purely by compression rather than the electric spark of conventional gasoline engines, had not changed much since they were invented by Rudolph Diesel back at the end of the 19th century. But that's all changed now.

"If you happen to have been in a cave for the past 20 years or so and haven't seen a computer since 1983, you would be shocked at what the modern PC is like. Guess what? Same for diesel engines," writes late-night talk show host Jay Leno in a recent article in Popular Mechanics.

Leno, an enthusiastic car buff, got an update on diesels from his friend Gale Banks. A veteran hot rodder with several land speed records to his credit, Banks is impressed with the advances in diesel technology. He's planning to seek another land speed record with a diesel-powered truck.

Enabled by breakthroughs in electronic engine management and turbo chargers, the hallmark of the new diesel is power, economy and reliability. They aren't the sooty-exhaust, clattering creatures of two decades ago. Diesels practically vanished from North American cars in the early 1980s because of strict emissions standards and issues such as noise, smoke and reliability. Volkswagen was the only manufacturer that consistently offered diesel-powered cars.

Now just about every manufacturer is considering new models. Volkswagen is touting a peppy, turbo-charged diesel Beetle it says will get 36 mpg, city (about 13 km/Litre), and 42 mpg highway. Nissan is planning a diesel powered Titan pickup and some diesel SUVs. BMW plans to have a diesel in the United States by 2008.

Mercedes is planning a number of new diesel-powered models featuring a new four-valve-per-cylinder V-6 diesel engine and what it calls its 'BlueTec' emissions system. BlueTec is a combination of emissions technologies that will be rolled out in two phases and will use traps and filters in the exhaust system.

J.D. Power forecasts U.S. diesel sales will grow to 9 percent of light-vehicle sales in 2012, up from 3.2 percent last year.

Related Links:

• Diesel a winner in mileage data
• Fuel of the future
• George W. Bush: thoughts on trucking

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