[tsk1979]

Found this interesting article
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortu...0259/index.htm

Finally in the last unconquered frontier diesel engines will be maiking a headway. The biggest challenge is meeting emission norms for 5 states(including calif and new york). Mercedes, Audi and even Honda are planning to get in diesel to defeat the hybrids.

hough initial models won't pass air-quality standards in five states (California and New York among them), Mercedes has announced three 2008 SUVs that will achieve 50-state standards. Honda (Charts), VW, and GM (Charts) are close behind. How big is the market? J.D. Power estimates that diesel sales will triple to 9% of the U.S. market by 2013, compared with a projected hybrid share of 5%.

With Honda's ultraclean diesel system almost ready, it will not be long that diesel will enjoy a Europe like market in the US.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/24/auto...ion=2006092517

[GTO]

Emission norms or not, its about time that the Yankees discover the joy of diesel motoring. Fuel prices are at an all time high and on my recent trip there...for the first time...I read / heard of Americans discussing fuel economy.

Do the Big 3 have prowess in common-rail? Maybe a fantastic opportunity to get a head start on the competition!

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by GTO

Do the Big 3 have prowess in common-rail?

GM (thru Detroit Diesel) and Daimler Chrysler (thru the former), yes. Ford relies a lot of Peugeot.

[Caduceus]

Originally Posted by GTO

Emission norms or not, its about time that the Yankees discover the joy of diesel motoring. Fuel prices are at an all time high and on my recent trip there...for the first time...I read / heard of Americans discussing fuel economy.

Do the Big 3 have prowess in common-rail? Maybe a fantastic opportunity to get a head start on the competition!

Thing is..diesel wont catch on untill its lower in price than petrol (gas). Im back in the states right now...diesel is more expensive by like 50 cents almost

[tsk1979]

Current diesels cant work in the US due to emission norms. But the guidelines to enforce low sulpher diesel by 2009 will allow that. Moreover with new systems like honda's and the merc's urea filteration system will ensure that their diesels can work in calif.

[GTO]

Thing is..diesel wont catch on untill its lower in price than petrol (gas). Im back in the states right now...diesel is more expensive by like 50 cents almost

I believe the price difference in some European countries is also not too much, yet diesels have a stronghold. Even if petrol and diesel are the same price, common-rails are inheretently 25% more FE.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by GTO

I believe the price difference in some European countries is also not too much, yet diesels have a stronghold. Even if petrol and diesel are the same price, common-rails are inheretently 25% more FE.

Why only common rail, any diesel is about 30% more fuel efficient than a petrol. That's why, they've always been used in trucks. Over 99% of the trucks in India do not have common rail but only ordinary direct injection.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by Caduceus

Thing is..diesel wont catch on untill its lower in price than petrol (gas). Im back in the states right now...diesel is more expensive by like 50 cents almost

According to the costing sheets of Mathura Oil refinery that I once got to see, it actually costs a little more to produce a litre of diesel than a litre of petrol. These days, with stricter emission norms requiring setting up of desulphurisation plants at oil refineries (to minimise the sulphur content of diesel), the cost difference must have gone up further.

[GTO]

That's why, they've always been used in trucks.

They are used in trucks also because of the torque i.e. pulling power.

[satish_appasani]

Couple of years ago an american friend of mine bought an used VW Golf with Dsl engine as a second car for it's mileage. That was the car that inspired me to buy Palio 1.9D.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

GM (thru Detroit Diesel) and Daimler Chrysler (thru the former), yes. Ford relies a lot of Peugeot.

GM uses tech from Isuzu (pickups) and Opel . Chrysler from DDC(Wrangler) Cummins (pickups) and Merc (300C/Grand Cherokee). Ford uses Peugeot tech for Europe and relies on Navistar to supply diesels for their heavy duty pickups. All are working furiously to get up to speed. First in line will be diesels for light duty pickups and SUVs.

[GTO]

So the big three miss the boat again? Even a 14 year old in their product planning department could have predicted that common-rail is the next big thing.

[condor]

IMO, that doesnt really have to be the case. If Cummins, Detroit Diesel etc are the ones who focus on the technology, and the Big 3 are using these [external] resources.

Diesels are used mostly in trucks, buses & tractor-trailors - typically from manufacturers like Kenworth, Peterbilt, Volvo etc. Other factors would be higher cost, and availability of diesel [in cities. you would typically search for a gas station that sells diesel. Freeways, it's not a problem].

With the street price they pay for gasoline [petrol], and the kind of gasoline powered vehicles they have, is there any compelling reason for diesels in the personal transportation segment?

[rahul_intlad]

Mercedes-Benz E 320 BLUETEC begins the Diesel campaign in the USA

from:
http://www.indiacar.net/news/n41985.htm

[rahul_intlad]

Diesel from AUDI

Before long Audi will push into diesel, de Nysschen said. It has announced a marketing alliance with Mercedes-Benz to educate American consumers about the advantage of diesel and to share the use of the Bluetec brand name. Its diesel-powered R10 race car won endurance races in Le Mans and Monterey last year.


``We think that diesel represents probably the single most significant new area of the business,'' de Nysschen said. ``It will undoubtedly eclipse hybrids, simply because diesel technology is far more appropriate.''
Very popular in Europe, diesels offer fewer emissions, better torque and higher fuel economy and range, he said, ``with no compromise in terms of driveability or performance.'' Most current diesel passenger cars or light trucks are too dirty to be sold in California and a few other states, but automakers including Audi, Mercedes and Honda says they'll produce 50-state diesel models starting in 2008.


At Detroit's North American International Auto Show last month, Audi unveiled its Q7 V-12 turbo-diesel concept that makes 738 pound-feet of torque and showed a Q7 with a 3.0-liter Bluetec diesel that'll go on sale in late 2008. De Nysschen predicted diesel models will represent 15 to 20 percent of Audi's U.S. sales within five years after they first go on sale.

Source:
MercuryNews.com | 02/09/2007 | Nauman: Sportier Audi to pursue U.S. market