A Guide to Diesel & Clean Diesel Cars
What Is A Diesel Vehicle?
Contents
A diesel vehicle uses an engine that has a different combustion cycle than a gasoline engine. In a gasoline engine, fuel is mixed with air, drawn into the cylinder, and ignited by a spark plug. In a diesel, air is drawn into the cylinder and compressed first without fuel present. This compression heats the air to such a high temperature that when fuel is then injected into the cylinder, it combusts.
By using higher compression ratios and higher combustion temperatures, diesels operate more efficiently. As a result, diesel vehicles attain better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts. In addition, a gallon of diesel fuel contains about 10 percent more energy than a gallon of gasoline. These two factors help modern diesels achieve roughly 50 percent higher fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts. Diesel vehicles now account for nearly half of all new vehicle sales in Europe, and a small but growing market share in the US.
The List of Diesel Cars
| Sort by: | Name | Combined MPG  | Type | MSRP | Available | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Volkswagen Jetta TDI | 36 MPG | Sedan | $23,000 | Now | The Volkswagen Jetta TDI offers 140 horsepower, 42-mpg on the highway, and a wagon option. |
 | Audi A3 TDI | 35 MPG | Sedan | $28,100 | Now | A step up from the Jetta TDI Sportwagen, without going as far as expensive clean diesels from Mercedes and BMW. |
 | Volkswagen Golf TDI | 35 MPG | Sedan | $22,200 | Now | Practical sporty clean diesel. Excels in highway MPG. |
 | BMW 335d | 29 MPG | Sedan | $44,700 | Now | The 3-series with a 3.0-liter biturbo inline-six diesel powerplant. |
 | Mercedes E320 Bluetec | 27 MPG | Sedan | $52,300 | Now | The E320 Bluetec luxury sedan uses a modern diesel system to deliver efficiency and eco-friendliness. |
 | BMW X5 xDrive35d | 23 MPG | SUV | $52,000 | Now | High-performance, luxury SUV. Now more efficient as a diesel. |
 | Mercedes ML 320 Bluetec | 21 MPG | SUV | $48,600 | Now | The most popular Mercedes SUV, available in fuel-efficient clean diesel version. |
 | Volkswagen Touareg TDI | 21 MPG | SUV | $42,800 | Now | VW ditched V10. Now, the Touareg TDI comes reasonably priced and reasonably powered by a 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine. |
 | Mercedes R320 Bluetec | 21 MPG | SUV | $49,100 | Now | A big and heavy luxury station wagon with a clean diesel engine. |
 | Audi Q7 TDI | 21 MPG | SUV | $50,900 | Now | Luxury seven-passenger clean diesel SUV with ultra-low emissions. |
 | Mercedes GL320 Bluetec | 20 MPG | SUV | $59,200 | Now | The biggest, bluntest, and heaviest clean diesel SUV from Mercedes-Benz. |
Diesel Benefits
- Higher fuel economy (20-40 percent more than gasoline)
- Diesel engines last longer, and fetch higher resale values
- Diesel engines can be run on biofuel (biodiesel)
- Diesels provide greater torque; great for rapid acceleration and towing
- Driving range on a tank is longer
Diesel Drawbacks
- Diesel fuel is more expensive in the US (In Europe, it’s taxed less heavily.)
- Few models are available with a diesel engine
- Diesel fuel is available at about half of all service stations
- Diesel vehicles are usually more expensive
- Particulate matter and NOx tailpipe emissions are usually higher
Diesel-Hybrid Dreams
Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Peugot, and Citroën have all produced concept vehicles that mate a diesel engine to a hybrid system. The Citroën C-Métisse diesel-hybrid, unveiled at the 2006 Paris Auto Show, is pictured above. Combining the two fuel-saving technologies in one vehicle could produce phenomenal results. Volkswagen promises 70 miles to the gallon for a diesel-hybrid Golf expected to launch in Europe in 2009.
Unfortunately, the combined added expense of a diesel engine and a hybrid system are too costly. Most industry analysts predict that diesel-hybrids will be a niche product.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel used in diesel engines. Biodiesel, in its pure form, is not made from petroleum; instead, all or part of it is derived from plant oils or animal fats. In the United States, most commercial biodiesel is made from soybean oil, while in Europe, rapeseed (canola) oil is more commonly used. Biodiesel can be made from virgin oil, or from used cooking oil recycled from restaurants and food processing operations.
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel; to make more, we just grow more of the crop needed. It can be produced domestically, displacing imported petroleum. Biodiesel should not be confused with straight vegetable oil, which is untreated oil that some people use as fuel in their modified diesel cars. Biodiesel is a more standardized product that can be used in most diesel engines without any modifications. Like conventional diesel fuel, biodiesel can only be used in diesel engines; today’s hybrids with their spark-ignition, gasoline engines cannot burn biodiesel.
A walkthrough of the process of making biodiesel at home. It takes time to master the process, but with time and patience, you can produce your vehicle fuel right from home.
Unlike any other fuel for modern engines, biodiesel can be made at home without investing heavily in special equipment or earning a degree in chemistry. Many who make their own biodiesel use waste cooking oil as the base fuel, and restaurants are often happy to provide it to them free of charge. Other components for the reaction must be purchased, and time is required to master the production process. Once a user is experienced in making biodiesel, the per-gallon cost can be extremely low. Perhaps even more satisfying than the low cost is the knowledge that using biodiesel puts nothing in the coffers of major oil companies or major oil-producing nations and, in many cases, reuses oil that would otherwise be discarded.
Using pure biodiesel (B100) instead of conventional diesel significantly reduces emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulates, as well as output of carbon dioxide. Unfortuntately, EPA tests show that using B100 instead of conventional diesel results in 10 percent higher emissions of oxides of nitrogen, which can contribute to smog.
Top news inDiesel Cars
January 2012 Dashboard- January sales always drop significantly from the prior year-ending month and this time around it was no different. Generally, December sales are very high as year-end sales are in place. This rule of thumb applying to vehicles in general is also true for hybrid, plug-in, and diesel vehicles. While overall sales in January were at a strong rate (over 14 million at an annual rate based on seasonal adjustment factors), the actual number of sales was down 27 percent from December 2011. Hybrid sales were down a similar rate, at 30 percent and plug in sales were down 48 percent (although the low volume of these sales makes the comparison less meaningful). Diesel sales dropped less, at 22 percent, than the overall market or the hybrids or plug ins.
New California Law Mandates Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles - In a unanimous ruling Friday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) called for a steep ramping up of zero- or very low-emission vehicles sold in state from 2018-onward. The goal is for them to comprise 15.4 percent of all vehicles sold by 2025 – up from less than 1 percent today. At the same time, the ruling called for a slashing of tailpipe emissions from the rest of the passenger vehicle population beginning sooner in 2015 and extending through 2025.
CAFE Hearings Focus Opposing Viewpoints- In Detroit on Tuesday some strong arguments were heard either in support of or against the proposed 2017-2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and the auto industry is split on the issue. The hearing will be followed by two more this month, and these are required by federal government regulators prior to finalizing fuel economy standards by the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency later this year that would mandate a fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon (about 40 mpg on sticker) by 2025. The proposed rules are poised to amend standards already set to rise to 37.5 mpg by 2016, and among automakers who’ve spoken in favor of stricter rule include General Motors, Toyota and Hyundai, while others are against, including Volkswagen and Daimler.
December 2011 Dashboard: Sales Still Climbing- Hybrid sales for December 2011 were at their highest since March, which was the last month before the Japanese earthquake/tsunami affected product availability. Prius volumes in December were also at their highest since March – augmented in that now Toyota is including new members of the Prius family under a single category – and were also higher than all other months since August 2009. The availability of the larger Prius v and the forthcoming Prius c will certainly lead to higher volumes.
- Chrysler Will Reluctantly Build Hybrids, CEO Says
- Fiat-Chrysler’s CEO Sergio Marchionne says he's still not positively disposed toward hybrids, but the company will be forced to begin producing them to meet 2025 emission mandates. "I have no other way of getting to 2025 [CAFE] numbers than by going to hybrids," he told Automotive News of sales to the North American market. What’s wrong with hybrids in Marchionne’s estimation? They’re relatively expensive to produce and he said he is skeptical whether they would not only sell in low volume, so it would be a losing proposition.
Clean Diesels Poised for Continued Growth in U.S.- With the debut of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI in 2008 and subsequent releases from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, diesel's fortunes in the United States are beginning to change.
2017-2025 CAFE Rules Tentatively Settled- Flanked by executives from most of the major automakers, as well as union officials and other environmental stakeholders, on Friday President Obama announced the compromise settled on for federal fuel efficiency standards for 2017-2025. Subject to final approval, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for vehicles weighing less than 6,000 pounds sold in the U.S. is to be 54.5 mpg. Because the government calculates the number differently, this will equate to about 40 mpg on vehicle window stickers.
Chevy Confirms Diesel Cruze for 2013- Chevrolet confirmed that it would in fact be selling its first diesel-powered car in the United States in more than two decades.
Important Dates For VW Up! MiniCar Revealed- Mark your calendars Volkswagen mini-car fans. It has just been learned that the much-anticipated Volkswagen Up! 3- and 5-door city car will have its world premiere in Paris on August 22. After the world debut, the Up! – which will ultimately be available with either electric or small displacement gas or diesel engines – will be transported to West Germany for the Frankfurt auto show in September.
US company produces super-clean 'GDiesel'- In the effort to come up with domestically self-reliant and environmentally friendly energy sources, as many are aware, no magic bullet has yet been devised, but a number of approaches are being tried from electric to hybrid to alternative fuels. Under this latter category, a privately held Nevada company, Advanced Refining Concepts, LLC (ARC), has been ramping up its production of its “GDiesel” since it incorporated in 2008. It has been progressively gaining acceptance for what is essentially an alternative diesel fuel that burns with fewer emissions, is cost competitive, and does not seem to have any downside as diesel fuels go.
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