| Author | Message | ||
     Ferris_von_bueller |
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/627c6812-7faf-11e4- adff-00144feabdc0.html | ||
| Aesquire |
Don't care to sign up to get the article. I will say that because the European refineries produce more diesel than American ones, ( different process ) Europe has had a subsidized Diesel fleet for years. This made lots of sense, since you get better mileage, but that edge is fading under the new gasoline engines that use a lot of the tricks diesels have used. ( yep, oversimplified, but it's Morning ) I have heard from the European small airplane community that they have just gone through a jillion Euros in development to make little car diesels run in little airplanes, which also let them not pay the insane taxes on gas at airports... but the Bureaucrats finally caught on to that and are now taxing diesel you put in your plane higher...because that's what money grubbing power mad a--holes do worldwide, and throughout history. As an American Diesel fan, ( with a German designed Diesel car ) I don't see this as a good sign for future development. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I want more diesel options in the US. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
"I want more diesel options in the US." Ditto. It is interesting though that almost every article written about the small number of diesel passenger vehicles is always lamenting how they have not caught on in the USA. Yet they always bring up GM's ill-fated attempt in the 80's, and describe the public's perception of diesels as noisy and smoky. Another interesting thing is that they always scratch their heads and wonder why a diesel at a 1000-2000 premium over the gas counterpart is not selling, despite the obvious advantage in fuel economy. I think the fault lies in the manufacturers hands. Try to find a base model of any vehicle with a diesel engine. You can't. The diesel engines are always packaged at the top of the trim level. So you could buy the gas base model and save about 5-6 thousand. At this price difference most people will never see (unless you drive 70,000 miles/year) the extra cost of the diesel recouped in fuel savings. When the manufactures get serious about selling diesels at a reasonable price, I'll buy one. For now I'll drive my Focus SE at 39 mpg that cost me a hair over 17 grand. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I watched exactly this scenario happen in the UK. 1980s. UK, only a few diesel cars about, mostly taxis with a very agricultural delivery van engine. Europe however had a much better selection of higher powered diesel cars with much more refined engines developed for purpose. Diesel price in the UK about 10% less than petrol. 1990s. UK, Many private imports from Europe & conversions going on (Did a few myself). Diesel cars starting to become more widely available from manufacturers but performance still not up to Petrol car standards. European manufacturers offering turbo versions of diesels & even high performance versions, Golf GTD, Peugeot 205 etc. Diesel price creeping up, now only very slightly cheaper 2000s. Fleet buyers now buying diesels as they're as good as petrols more economic & resale value is higher. Nearly all manufacturers offering all models at all trim levels petrol or diesel same as Europe. Petrol & diesel prices now roughly the same. Transport companies squealing due to fuel price hikes, Truck manufacturers find ways to make trucks more economic, Government is getting less fuel revenue from diesel despite greater number of diesel vehicles & falling revenue from petrol due to fewer petrol engined vehicles. Diesel taxes rise, ostensibly to help research into cleaner running (yeah right, sound familiar). In most families with more than 1 car at least 1 is now diesel. The trend continues. Diesel in the UK is now 5-10% dearer than petrol. Don't get me started on Agricultural fuel & heating oil. I have a friend in the UK who rebuilds old Mercedes diesels & fits them in top of the line petrol models, he's been doing it for years. Runs them on carefully filtered, used cooking oil which he acquires from restaurants & take-aways that would otherwise have to pay for disposal. The UK Governmental Agencies have been trying to find a way to stop him & the many others who do likewise, but ingenuity knows no bounds. | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Sorry about the article. It allowed me to view it without a subscription but that's changed for some reason. |
