How about diesel cars?

I have worked for 15 years on diesel engines for American made cars sold in Europe. Diesel technology has come a long way in those 15 years. The modern diesel powered car is quiet, no smell, outperforms gas cars, and starts well in the winter. On top of that, they get about 30% more miles on a gallon of fuel than gas cars can get. The Eruopeans love them. However, the EPA and CARB have set the NOx emissions rules so stringently that it is almost prohibitively expensive to sell diesel cars in the US market. If we lobbied our lawmakers to accept the same diesel emission limits that the Europeans accept, and if 50% of car buyers chose diesel, we would have a 15% reduction in auto fuel use with current technology. That has to make an impact on fuel prices.

Ken Goss

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Permalink Reply by Ray Phillips on November 23, 2008 at 6:09pm: This is interesting, the 2009 VW Jetta TDI was named Green Car of the Year, beating out a couple of hybrids and the Smart fortwo.

http://www.automotive-fleet.com/News/Story/2008/11/Volkswagen-s-200...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shelly Thomas on November 23, 2008 at 11:35pm: Diesel is dirty -- we have to stop putting C02 into the atmosphere. I'm not sure how much biodiesel pollutes, but if it does, it should not be used. We need electric cars asap!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ray Phillips on November 25, 2008 at 8:19pm: Clean diesel is here now. While there are electric cars available now, they have a short range. Putting more clean diesel cars on the road will cut down on CO2 emissions for the time being while EV's are being developed further.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ray Phillips on November 26, 2008 at 1:58pm: News of a VW Golf Diesel/Plug in Hybrid.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/volkswagen-golf-vi-twindrive.html; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ray Phillips on November 26, 2008 at 6:59pm: More news about diesel imports, this time from BMW.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/24/bmw-considering-diesel-7-series-...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ray Phillips on November 26, 2008 at 7:16pm: Maybe they'll bring the Mini D here soon, too.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/22/in-the-autobloggreen-garage...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Charles Jones on December 24, 2008 at 8:56am: Ken, you can do a scan of Chinese Diesel Engines. Many people deny that a Diesel Engine is capable of using Natural Gas. Well the Chinese have 4CY and 6CY Diesel Engines for use in automobiles and trucks which can do either Diesel fuel or Natural Gas (CNG) or else Diesel Fuel or (LNG). Nothing wrong in this but if you want the engine to last 8 times longer you will see that Diesel produces more carbon and Natural Gas either CNG or LNG does no as it is zero carbon. American Automakers want a Flex Fuel vehicle but they deny what the Chinese are accomplishing. In fact only recent boastings by Lobbiest of Barack Obama have begun a Coal campaign to make it both GTL and CTL (Gas To Liquid, Coal To Liquid) and in this way they are founding a different concept that China supports as only CTL Plants so to stop the high pollution in their atmosphere causing all their smog and hope their efforts to Liquefy will pay off. American Automakers want a EPA CO2 Certified solution, the EPA has dropped standards so they can meet their expectations while in Europe the EU Automakers are complaining that this is shunning the effort to comply to adverse Global Warming since their first authorized endorsement was certifying that their vehicles reduce Global Warming problems and to reduce the CO2 emission standard goes against that issue. This shoves dirt in the face of American Automakers whom should have sided with the Chinese and started the Diesel 3CY generation using a generator union to offer a direct power equivalent for a Hybrid Auto which is capable of either Diesel fuel or Natural Gas (CNG) or else Diesel Fuel or (LNG) but not both at the same time simply using a switch to do either. It is the exhaust system catalyst which is the problem but if theres a dual solution so that the exhaust system can be selected when the fuel type is selected you could have it either of both ways and that is flexible. Diesel fuel quality is not factor when Green Algae Oil is a solution to a renewable energy source which American Automakers are also in denial of supporting fully sort of helping Green Algae development happen in America would be a A+ for American Automakers while they are at a F- stage right now. European investors are looking at Green Algae Oil as a renewable energy source for their Diesel mainly because their Oil supply is from the Russian Pipeline and Russia has a monopoly on the Caspian Sea Pipelines and shipping Oil which cut off the Middle East Supply mainly endorsements of Iran to exploit the Middle East with Natural Gas and Oil from Iran turns against development in the Middle East for Europeans. To derive the Diesel Fuel on their own skipping that treachery 100%. I like the Diesel Alternative solution more than a gasoline solution esp. when I could make my own Green Algae Oil Diesel Alternative Fuel for my own vehicle.

The Electric Vehicle Free Conversion Foundation (EVFCF); ▶ Reply to This