| We are just into the fifth month of the year and car | | | | Already, European car manufacturers have expressed |
| manufacturers are already promoting their 2008 | | | | their intentions to release diesel vehicles in the United |
| model year vehicles. The 2008 Ford Escape and its | | | | States next year. The German Volkswagen has been |
| hybrid version have already been released and so are | | | | selling diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. for decades |
| other auto models from different car manufacturers. | | | | and at present, they will upgrade their engines by |
| In the United States, as prices of gasoline increases, | | | | using a cleaner technology dubbed as the Blue Motion. |
| hybrid cars have been gaining popularity. For the 2008 | | | | The first Volkswagen auto model which will use the |
| model year, it is expected that car manufacturers will | | | | clean diesel technology is the Jetta. |
| be introducing more hybrid vehicles as the demand | | | | Another German car manufacturer which will |
| for this type of automobiles increases. Another | | | | introduce diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. next |
| technology though is set to be unleashed into the | | | | year is Mercedes Benz. Sport utility vehicles or SUVs, |
| United States and Canadian auto markets in the form | | | | known as the favorite of American car buyers, will |
| of clean diesel engines. Next year, it is expected that | | | | be what Mercedes Benz will be equipping with their |
| European and Japanese car manufacturers will be | | | | clean diesel engines. Already announced to be |
| introducing diesel cars in the said auto markets. In | | | | released in the United States auto market are diesel |
| Europe, the use of diesel engines is already popular, | | | | versions of the M-Class, R-Class, and the GL-Class. |
| thanks to companies like Volkswagen and Mercedes | | | | These vehicles will be equipped with clean diesel |
| Benz. The success of diesel engines in the region is | | | | engines and other soot cleaning technologies from |
| expected to give diesel engines a better reputation in | | | | the engine to their Mercedes Benz mufflers and out |
| the United States. | | | | the exhaust pipe. Aside from these European |
| For years after the 1970s and 80s decades, | | | | carmakers a Japanese company has expressed their |
| Americans have been staying away from diesel | | | | intention to introduce a diesel car in the U.S. |
| engines. It can be remembered that this engine | | | | Nissan, the third largest Japanese car manufacturer |
| technology was introduced in the 1970s in the United | | | | announced that they will be producing a |
| States. Unfortunately, the diesel engines of old are | | | | diesel-powered Maxima sedan in the near future. |
| known for their black soot emissions and in some | | | | One problem in the way of the promotion of use of |
| cases poor reliability. Newer diesel engines though | | | | diesel engines in the United States is the availability of |
| have overcome this problem with the use of better | | | | diesel fuel. Not more than 50 percent of all refueling |
| emission filter technology. | | | | stations in the country are offering diesel engines. |
| The Ford Super Duty already available in the market | | | | Fortunately though, the oil industry is clearly |
| boasts of having a powerful diesel engine with | | | | supporting the use of diesel-powered vehicles. The |
| emission similar to that of a gasoline engine. The | | | | Marathon Petroleum Company recently earmarked |
| Super Duty is one of the vehicles that can promote | | | | $3.2 billion for the expansion of their refineries that is |
| the use of cleaner diesel engines. The problems | | | | expected to increase the availability of diesel fuel in |
| encountered in the use of bio-ethanol is also another | | | | refilling stations across the United States. |
| reason seen that will help popularize the use of diesel | | | | Another problem faced by diesel powered-vehicles in |
| cars. | | | | the country is consumer acceptance. Although new |
| Flex-fuel vehicles in the United States which are | | | | technologies have made diesel engines cleaner than |
| designed to run on a combination of gasoline and | | | | their ancestors, its reputation has been tarnished |
| bio-ethanol is recently being criticized due to the lack | | | | heavily. Gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles are also |
| of fuel refilling stations offering E85 - the alternative | | | | popular among car buyers and it would be something |
| fuel composed of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent | | | | that diesel cars must contend with. Furthermore, the |
| bio-ethanol. In a recent study, it was found out that | | | | use of advanced emission cleaning technology gives |
| 99 percent of flex-fuel vehicles in the United States | | | | these diesel engines a price almost equal to that of |
| are actually using conventional gasoline thereby | | | | hybrid vehicles. In the end, it would be a matter of |
| beating the purpose of these supposed to be | | | | preference that will spell the success or lack of it for |
| environment friendly vehicles. | | | | diesel-powered vehicles. |