So how exactly can diesel sales ‘ramp up’ if either no one is selling them, or they’re in the higher end models?

VW is the only car maker to offer affordable diesels. The others seem to like setting them up to fail, or to pad their wallets by only putting them in pricey SUVs.

Same deal with Chrysler and MB. We had the top end Grand Cherokee, but no Wrangler diesel, a model people have been clamboring for. MB gives us the E class diesel, but not a C diesel.

Americans may be skeptical about diesels partly because of their track record. Back in the ’70′s, GM introduced diesel cars that destroyed the reputations of diesel durability. Big diesel Mercedes cars were among the most popular luxury cars of the late ’70′s, but my wife and I test drove one and both checked to see if the parking brake was on (it was not) — very slow and not much more efficient than a standard car (we eventually bought a smaller, faster 190 turbodiesel, but the traditional diesel was fairly noisy). The Sierra Club and other environmental groups also lobbied heavily to kill diesels because of emissions concerns. American diesel engines persisted mainly in trucks, and if you’ve ever had a neighbor with a diesel truck who starts it up at 5AM, you won’t think much of traditional diesels either. Meanwhile, in Europe, the emissions and fuel tax situation favored diesels, and modern diesel engines offered inherently greater torque, fuel efficiency, and durability than most gas engines of similar sizes. We drove a European diesel in Italy a couple of years ago and were impressed. We now drive an Escape hybrid and are very happy with it — it also has plenty of torque and the durability of these hybrids has been excellent, so the only reason we may return to a diesel would be that the VW’s are more enjoyable to drive than the average hybrid.