If the US automobile industry ramps up its efforts to produce eco-friendly vehicles for the mass market, it could cut the nation’s gas consumption by 30 to 50 percent by 2035. That’s according to a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But the study also asserts that the mentality of car consumers will need to change.
A cleaner Bluetec system is now 50-state legal and will be featured this fall in a trio of high-end Mercedes SUVs: the R, ML, and GL. We had an opportunity to drive one of the new Mercedes clean diesel SUVs, the R320 Bluetec, to determine its real-world gas mileage. The results were disappointing.
These days, no major auto company can afford to ignore a technology that wrings more miles from a gallon of gas. Japanese automakers currently own more than 90 percent of the growing hybrid market, and they seem determined not to be left out of the diesel market either. Nissan plans to first offer a diesel engine to the American market in 2010, and Toyota, Subaru and Mitsubishi have all made noises about doing the same.
Minnesota lawmakers are on track to increase the state's current mandate that 2 percent of diesel fuel be composed of biodiesel. By May of next year, that requirement will be increased to a 5 percent blend, known as B5; then up to B10 in 2012 and finally to B20 in 2015. If all goes as planned, Minnesota could once again be in position to raise the bar nationally on biodiesel.
Importing a vehicle to the U.S. is a big deal, because this country has some of the toughest emissions and safety regulations in the world. So, when a company from China or India is said to be ready to design a hybrid or otherwise high-tech vehicle and bring it to America, industry analysts take a skeptical view. Mahindra, the Indian carmaker, might silence the skeptics with its plans for diesel-hybrid vehicles.
Some auto industry analysts believe diesel vehicles will become more popular than hybrids in the next decade—but high diesel fuel prices could radically change those forecasts. This week, the average price of a gallon of ultra-low sulfur diesel is a dizzying $4.50 a gallon, compared with gasoline at $3.84.
FAME versus NERD is not the latest summer blockbuster for teens. FAME and NERD are the acronyms defining the two main forms of biodiesel—a non-petroleum renewable fuel that can theoretically run in any diesel vehicle without modification. Understanding the differences between FAME and NERD could help determine the future of biodiesel.
At one point, the biodiesel fuel branded with Willie Nelson's name and face looked like it was going to launch the biofuel into the mainstream. Now, the company behind BioWillie is trying to pull itself from the brink of bankruptcy.
Mercedes Benz announced plans for a new four-cylinder diesel engine for the U.S. market. No timeline yet.
According to the latest forecast by J.D. Power and Associates, sales of hybrid and diesel-powered cars will more than triple by 2015. The new forecast includes specific numbers for the Chevy Volt, beginning with 11,059 sales in 2010 and growing to 70,000 units by 2014.
