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 | $22,800 | 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
Neste Pro Diesel is Said to Lower Emissions by up to 20 Percent- In Finland, Neste Oil is getting ready to launch a new type of diesel fuel. Developed from extensive R&D work and experience gathered from fuel usage worldwide, the new diesel complies with ultra strict Category 4 specifications (a maximum of 840 kilograms/per cubic meter), which form part of the Worldwide Fuel Charter, created by auto manufacturers in Asia, Europe and the U.S. Formulated to work with advanced emissions control systems, including particulate filters, Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and sophisticated downstream exhaust injection; Neste Pro Diesel is said to offer the best fuel product properties on the market.
Hybrid Diesel-Electric Buses Coming To Chicago- New Flyer Industries Inc. announced yesterday an order for one hundred 60-foot articulated buses for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in support of its fleet renewal and customer enhancement strategies. Of the new buses, 33 are hybrid diesel-electric buses (model DE60LFR) and the other 67 are clean-diesel buses (model D60LFR). The order is worth $80.1 million. The D60LFR and DE60LFR can accommodate up to 115 passengers and are ideal for high-capacity, high-frequency routes.
California Approves $100 Million Alternative Energy Investment Plan for 2013- Last week, California’s Energy Commission voted unanimously in favor of a $100 million 2012-2013 investment plan, designed to increase green vehicle usage. This marks the fourth successive year the state has approved such a program, which aims to help reduce California’s emissions levels to below 80 percent of 1990 levels by the year 2050. Key aspects include ...
VW Diesel Sets World Distance Record For Single Tank of Fuel- A stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE has just topped the previous world driving distance record for a single tank of fuel with an average 84.1 mpg covering 1,626.1 miles. Using ultra-low sulfur fuel, the six-speed manual was driven May 3 to May 5 by “mileage experts” John and Helen Taylor from Houston, Texas to Sterling, Virginia and their record topped by 99.5 miles the previous European record of 1,526.6 miles held by a 1.6 BlueMotion Passat.
BMW Recalls Diesels For Emissions Control Issues- Do you have a 2009-2012 model year BMW diesel showing a “Service Engine Soon” light on the display? According to BMW, the light may or may not be accurate and at any rate, the company is issuing service recall for 24,340 diesels that may not meet U.S. and California emission control rules.
Study: 1 in 10 US Vehicles To Be Diesels by 2015- Basing its bullishness for diesel proliferation on a study done by Carnegie Mellon University, German company Bosch says to get ready for 10 percent of all American vehicles to be diesel powered within the next three years. Said study, which was undertaken in 2009, compiled information based on public understanding of diesel passenger vehicles and factors affecting diesel purchase by consumers. Additionally, more recent information from CNW Research has apparently bolstered the argument, citing greater awareness of clean diesel technology and lower cost premiums for diesel against gasoline than in the past.
Diesel Sales Trending Upward; Chevy Gearing Up- Total diesel sales, which account for 3 percent of U.S. sales today, jumped 35 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. This confirms the trend upwards for diesel car sales, which grew more than 27 percent last year, according to the Diesel Technology Forum. Market research firm Baum and Associates predicts diesels to account for 6 percent of car sales by 2015. With its TDI powered vehicles, VW is at the forefront of this growth and is essentially the only player offering relatively affordable diesel vehicles in North America. VW will soon be challenged in this market by GM’s Chevrolet.
Army Efficiency Lab Complex Opened in Warren, Michigan- On the same day an explosion occurred at GM’s Alternative Energy Center, not far away, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) officially opened its new Ground Power Systems and Energy Laboratory Complex in Warren, Mich. With increasing pressure on the U.S. military to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles, the new lab complex’s primary objective is to develop powertrain technologies that are less dependent on fossil fuels, including hybrid systems.
New Turbo-Diesel D3 For Volvo- Volvo has announced the availability of a revised diesel engine on its 2013 models. The new entry-level 5-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbo diesel will be available in the S60, V60, XC60, V70 and S80 Volvo models. The engine, which has an output of 136 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, will be identified as D3. The engine is available both with a manual and an automatic gearbox. All variants except the XC60 D3 with automatic gearbox will have start/stop technology.
Mercedes’ BlueEFFICIENCY Wins Green Award- The Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY was declared the 2012 World Green Car during the New York International Auto Show. The Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY was chosen from an initial entry list of 23 new vehicles from all over the world, then three finalists: the Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, the Ford Focus Electric, and the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid. This is the second time in World Green Car history that a Mercedes-Benz technology has won this prestigious honor.
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