In a Turin, Italy press conference, Volkswagen's powertrain research director, Wolfgang Steiger, stated that "roughly 30% of VW's total U.S. sales will likely be derived from its diesel models by 2018." Compared to its prior 15% percent of vehicles and near monopoly on affordable diesel cars, that percentage will nearly double their sales in ten years. The rollout of their clean diesel technology in late summer is expected to kick off this initiative. (Motortrend)
BUT ... unless politics and lobbiest rethink their strategy ... only diesel advocates will be considering diesel -- just take a look at the pump prices (and its not even fall and winter -- when fuel oil demand is up). An interesting article in The Independent reported on diesel fuel and the new clean diesel cars that will begin showing up in the U.S. ... just as diesel fuel prices have rise significantly higher than gasoline.
The American Petroleum Institute attributes the fast-climbing price of diesel and its higher-than-gasoline cost to several factors. Diesel is a close relative of home heating oil, and so costs usually rise in the winter. And while demand for regular gasoline is slipping, diesel use has climbed in the U.S. and production is at capacity. What's more, if gas prices go up consumers can use less, but if diesel fuel goes up the trucks, which right now are the big users of diesel, still have to keep on trucking.
Diesel use doesn't fall, so demand is not susceptible to price as it is with gasoline. Plus refiners spent $8 billion to reconfigure their plants to produce cleaner, reduced-sulfur diesel. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, refining costs make up 21% of the cost of diesel, whereas refining costs for regular gasoline are only 8% of the total cost. It seems as though refiners are looking to get their investment back and that is driving up the cost.
Then there are the taxes. Percentage-wise they are about the same, 13% on regular and 12% on diesel. The actual difference is 6 cents; the federal government charges 24.4 cents per gallon and regular gas is taxed at 18.4 cents a gallon, 6 cents lower. So our government charges more in tax for engines that give better fuel economy. How's that for making sense? In Europe, taxes on diesel are lower than gasoline because they want to encourage diesel use and higher fuel economy.
Here's the question "Will they sell?"
These decisions were all made before diesel prices here soared so far past gasoline and wiped out the potential of cash savings. Europe is different. About half the vehicles sold in Europe are diesel because fuel, both gasoline and diesel, is much more expensive than here. But diesel is a bargain, and its cost is much lower.
Of course bargin is one man's opinion ... since prices of gasoline and diesel at a Texaco station in Brussels reported regular gasoline selling at $9 a gallon (at $1.59 to the Euro) and diesel was $7.81.
They should have no problem selling
This new "fuel crissis" is forcing americans to do more math when they by new cars and more math at the pump. You still see advertisements for gassers talking about 300-400 miles per tank, which to me means the put a bigger tank in the vehicle. I routinely go 700+ miles per tank. Even though Diesel costs $0.80 more than regular at the pump, I am getting 42 miles to the gallon driving around town, mostly to work every day. So driving my car costs me $0.111 per mile. The Gasser version of my car costs $0.155 per mile at $3.89 per gallon and 25 mpg.... A gasser would have to get a minimum of 35 MPG (City/town) to beat mine at current prices. And I am 6' 5" tall so a little sub compact does not work. Oh and my car is 11 years old 97 passat TDI
So stop with the BS and do math before you open mouthage.
"Everything is possible, it is just a matter of whether it is feasable with today's technology" Hintertux
My "mouthage" concern for "high" diesel prices
I have no disagreement with your mathematical calculations Hinterux ... my point is that we live in a country where diesel vehicles hold a significant advantage over gasoline and hybrid vehicles compared to Europe, yet in the U.S. their is a bias toward gasoline, ethanol and hybrid vehicles.
I'm attempting to point out that even before an influx of diesel vehicles make it to the U.S. that the powers that be may be working to thwart and discount the advantage of diesel and biodiesel powered vehicle have in North America. If you talk to the average American around the water-cooler they are quick to comment ... "did you see how much higher diesel fuel prices were? Glad I'm not filling my car with diesel ..." Perhaps I'm prematurely clanging the gong of concern by mentioning the semi-recent price change between gas and diesel, the lack of getting approval for importing diesel cars, higher tax on diesel fuel than on gasoline, the higher maintenance cost for dealer serviced diesel vehicles or the extra headache some diesel owners will now have with blue-tec/ad-blue services or particulate filter concerns -- believe me the pro-gasoline folks will surely point out these additional maintenance issues.
I'm someone who believes that diesel vehicles make far more sense in the U.S. than they do is nations where distances are less ... we are an interstate nation. Yet ... those who's livelyhood is based on gasoline and ethanol will gladly predjudice our citizens toward gasoline powered cars AND this is the reason I'm pointing out a concern for a wider acceptance of diesel vehicles for North America. Don't be naive to a powerful resistance to diesel vehicles making inroads -- and that resistance will grow as the threat of efficient diesel imports chip away at established politically connected industries.