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.
A recent panel of diesel experts identified the environmental benefits of clean diesel. “Diesel has a major role to play because it’s inherently more efficient than gasoline combustion," said Tim Johnson, director of environmental technologies, Corning Inc. "And it produces about 20 percent fewer greenhouse gases." But the panel didn’t sidestep the most difficult challenges either.
BMW will introduce a mild hybrid diesel concept vehicle—based on the BMW X5—at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March. The seven-passenger vehicle, which will utilize a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine, promises 36 miles to the gallon and 200 horsepower. "This is no pie-in-the-sky project," said Klaus Draeger, head of development at BMW. "All of the features are production-feasible."
For the fifth consecutive year, Honda's natural gas-powered Civic GX took top honors as the greenest vehicle, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The rest of the list of greenest cars is dominated by hybrids and small vehicles.
Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra plans to introduce a diesel-hybrid pickup truck for sale in the U.S. by 2010. The pickup would become the first diesel-hybrid to hit the light-duty market in the United States.
General Motors announced a $69 million investment in an engine plant in Moraine, Ohio, to produce a cleaner, more advanced version of the Duramax diesel engine. The engine is intended for the Chevrolet Suburban, the Hummer H2, and the full-range of GM pickup trucks and full-size vans.
Diesel engine vehicles are on the rise, and could overtake hybrids as the darlings of the green car world. Dr. Johannes-Joerg Rueger, vice president of engineering for diesel systems for Robert Bosch LLC, believes that diesel vehicles are a practical and feasible next step for improving mpg in the United States.
A new study by Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research showed that only six percent of new-car shoppers in the US think that diesel can succeed in becoming a mainstream powertrain for the future.
