American Diesel Car Availability

 

How I picture driving in Europe:

 

I see myself behind the wheel of Peugeot on a rural highway in the UK. On my right and left I am passed often by BMW's, Mercedes' and Veedub's. This is my vision of driving in Europe. Rarely do I think about American vehicles, never mind diesel power cars, sold and driven across the pond. Believe it or not, Chrysler is the leading manufacturer of American diesel powered vehicles driven overseas. And guess where the assembly lines for these vehicles are? That's right, in our own back yard.........Detroit! The only diesel car which is sold in the States and meets the more stringent US EPA guidelines is the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

 

If the auto makers can make the emission reduction technology for one vehicle to meet the Tier 2 Bin 5 regulations, why can't more models be engineered with the proper technology to meet EPA's guidelines. Come on Detroit get with the program!

 

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Prius' vs VW Diesel Hybrid

Believe it or not, I had suggested car makers look into diesel hybrid technology for some time now. In fact, I made a post in regards to a story last year which talked about NYC yellow cab drivers trading in their Ford Crown Victoria's for Toyota Prius'. Mayor Bloomberg supported this idea and will be providing financial backing from the city.

 

I believe Mayor Bloomberg's idea is a step in the right direction especially for city driving. Toyota Prius' fuel consumption is almost nothing when driving in the city. The regenerative braking is working almost non-stop to recharge the on-board Li-On batteries

 

Now, how about those fares to LaGuardia or JFK. Driving a Prius on-highway is like driving a Corolla when you compare the fuel economy. I can only assume that driving the Prius on-highway will reduce overall fuel economy to 35mpg. The Corolla gets 35 mpg. For arguments sake, let's say the New York City purchased VW Golf Diesel Hybrid cars instead of Prius'.

 

The city fuel economy between the gasoline engine Prius and diesel engine Golf will remain equal. Typically, diesel engines are 20% more efficient than gasoline engines. That said, the VW diesel hybrid will get 20% more on-highway miles per gallon, compared to the gasoline engine of the Toyota Prius.

 

 

View Full Story: The VW That Out-Sips a Prius