More diesels are on the way

Diesel passenger vehicle engines have been largely ignored in North America although they have long been a standard in long-haul and industrial applications as well as in larger pleasure boats, motor homes and pickups.

In a bit of irony, they have also been a stalwart in the Mercedes-Benz lineup of expensive, luxury vehicles. Volkswagen has long been the primary purveyor of diesels in the affordable end of the market, but other than a few miserable attempts by domestic manufacturers a couple of decades ago, the family car and diesel engines have remained unrelated.
But consumer demands and expectations are changing, thanks to volatile fuel prices and supply scares.

Toss into this mix the ever-competitive international auto industry, regulatory authorities concerned with exhaust emissions and the oil industry and you have a set of variables and factors worthy of a novel.

But the bottom line is the bottom line. North American consumers are finally becoming aware of fuel prices and operating costs. They are also becoming aware of the advantages of diesel engines. This combination of factors has long been in play in Europe where diesel engines capture more than half of the passenger vehicle market.

With rising demands and expectations, it would seem possible to simply import the diesel engines and the vehicles sold in Europe to satisfy the growing demand for diesel efficiency on these shores. But it isn’t that easy due to emission standards that require much cleaner fuel and engines.

However, refineries are being forced by regulations to produce and make available cleaner diesel fuel. New technology is being developed and utilized to take advantage of the cleaner fuel and meet tighter restrictions.

Globe and Mail