Diesel News: POST HERE

[haven]

http://www.clearlybetterdiesel.org is a web site that promotes diesel fueled vehicles. Their motto is "Clean Diesel. Clearly Better." The web site is sponsored by the five European auto brands that currently import diesel vehicles to USA: VW, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche and BMW.

One feature of the web site is a page where they estimate how many times a year you'd need to visit a gas station to fill up. The web page assumes you drive about 13,000 miles a year, and it compares a gas vehicle that gets 28 mpg with a diesel getting 43 mpg. Using these assumptions, you'd make one or two fewer trips to the gas station each month, and you'd save almost $600 a year in fuel costs. Propaganda, but interesting nonetheless.

 

[haven]

During an interview following the introduction of the 2014 Silverado 1500 pickup, GM President Mark Reuss said, "There is, fundamentally, a place for diesel here." GM is rumored to have developed a smaller V8 diesel for the Silverado some years back, but the GM bankruptcy made it impossible to tool up for production. As fuel economy becomes more important to pickup truck sales, maybe GM will offer a diesel again.

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2012/12/gm-fundamentally-in-favor-of-expanding-us-diesel-line-up/

GM is due to introduce a Diesel engine in the Cruze compact sedan in 2013. That same engine could be used in the new version of GM's midsize pickup, the Colorado. In overseas markets, GM uses a 2.8L diesel in the Colorado. That engine is not fuel efficient enough for use in the Cruze.

 

[haven]

Writing for Autoblog, Michael Harley reports excellent fuel economy while driving a 2012 VW Passat sedan. Drivetrain is a 2.0L, 4 cylinder turbodiesel, with a 6 speed manual transmission.

"According to the EPA, the Passat TDI earns 31 mpg city and 43 mpg highway – but not on my watch. My city average was more like 35 mpg and 50 mpg wasn't difficult to achieve on the highway at 70 mph."

Harley took a 100 mile round trip on the freeway holding a steady 60 mph, and recorded 56.9 mpg.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/19/2013-volkswagen-passat-tdi/

 

[Dan Grec]

Harley took a 100 mile round trip on the freeway holding a steady 60 mph, and recorded 56.9 mpg.

My buddy had an '09 Passat TDI, and loaded to the absolute hilt with 4 adults and camping gear we never saw below 50mpg on our weekend road trips through the Rockies.

-Dan

 

[Ryanmb21]

Also impressive that you fit four adults and gear in a passat!

 

[1911]

My '10 Jetta TDI routinely gets 44 in town and 49 on the highway, loaded with people. All without environmentally-unfriendly batteries or urea injection. With these cars available, I just don't see the attraction of electric cars or hybrids at all.

 

[haven]

The 2013 Passat does use urea injection, while the Jetta does not. Urea injection will come to the Jetta in model year 2014, i believe. VW's new 2.0L diesel will produce about 20% more torque than the current diesel does.

Urea injection should not be considered a deal-breaker. The manufacturers size the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank so it needs to be refilled when you change the oil. You can do it yourself. A 2.5 gallon container of DEF costs $7 at my local AutoZone. Engines with DEF injection run cooler and generally make more power than diesels that depend on exhaust gas recirculation to control emissions.

 

[1911]

VW's new 2.0L diesel will produce about 20% more torque than the current diesel does.

That should be impressive. I'm amazed at how much torque the little 2.0L in my '10 Jetta makes - it will drive on cruise control over Raton Pass at 65 mph, in top gear, without ever down-shifting.

 

[Regcabguy]

The 2013 Passat does use urea injection, while the Jetta does not. Urea injection will come to the Jetta in model year 2014, i believe. VW's new 2.0L diesel will produce about 20% more torque than the current diesel does.

Urea injection should not be considered a deal-breaker. The manufacturers size the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank so it needs to be refilled when you change the oil. You can do it yourself. A 2.5 gallon container of DEF costs $7 at my local AutoZone. Engines with DEF injection run cooler and generally make more power than diesels that depend on exhaust gas recirculation to control emissions.

Yeah,with def the manufacturers can back off on the regen and subdue the egr some. I just wish VW would release a Passat wagon again.

 

[Redline]

Yeah,with def the manufacturers can back off on the regen and subdue the egr some. I just wish VW would release a Passat wagon again.

Right, and the question will be for those looking to buy in about 12 months: is it better to buy the proven, current TDI engine with less torque (but enough), more EGR, but no DEF? Or the newer, unproven (less proven?) version that will offer more HP and torque? Will the more powerful TDI engine get less MPG?

I'm leaning toward buying the current Jetta Sportwagen [6-speed] with the current, sorted engine. More HP and torque would be nice, but all have much more than our 2000 Golf. Our purchase will likely be in our fleet for 10-15 years, so longevity and simplicity [if there is such a thing] would be my preference.

 

[haven]

jeep has released details about the diesel engine available in the 2014 Grand Cherokee.

3.0-liter V6
240 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque
8 speed automatic transmission
EPA 21 mpg city, 30 highway
Up to 730 miles on a single tank
7400 lb towing capacity

No word on price, or when production of the new Grand Cherokee diesel will begin

UPDATE: price is $4500, production begins in early summer, maybe May.

 

[haven]

VW is showing a diesel hybrid drivetrain at the Detroit Auto Show. A four cylinder Diesel engine is linked with two electric motors (one at each axle). The combination can produce 516 ft lb of torque when needed. The Diesel engine drives the front wheels. When AWD is needed, the electric motor in the rear joins the party. The battery pack that powers the electric motors can be recharged by the Diesel engine, or by plugging into mains power.

The result of pairing the diesel with the electric motors is expected to be about 35 mpg in combined operation. Not bad for a large six passenger AWD vehicle.

The CrossBlue concept vehicle that uses the diesel hybrid drivetrain may replace the Touareg in VW showrooms in a few years. It's about the same size as a Dodge Durango.

 

[haven]

Starting in 2007, emissions controls for diesel engines became much more complicated. A cottage industry emerged to service the desire of diesel owners to remove the emissions controls. Kits to remove catalytic converters and particulate filters can be found with a simple Google search.

The EPA decided enough is enough. Edge Products of Ogden, Utah, has agreed to a $500,000 fine resulting from the company's sale of an electronic tuner that allows the removal of the particulate filter from diesel trucks. The fine would have been greater, but the EPA decided that the company is in such poor financial shape that they could not pay more. In addition to the fine, the company has to offer to buy back the kits it sold, and to engage in a pollution mitigation project to try to clean up the air we all breathe.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/01/epa-says-dont-touch-paticulate-filter.html

 

[SSF556]

Starting in 2007, emissions controls for diesel engines became much more complicated. A cottage industry emerged to service the desire of diesel owners to remove the emissions controls. Kits to remove catalytic converters and particulate filters can be found with a simple Google search.

The EPA decided enough is enough. Edge Products of Ogden, Utah, has agreed to a $500,000 fine resulting from the company's sale of an electronic tuner that allows the removal of the particulate filter from diesel trucks. The fine would have been greater, but the EPA decided that the company is in such poor financial shape that they could not pay more. In addition to the fine, the company has to offer to buy back the kits it sold, and to engage in a pollution mitigation project to try to clean up the air we all breathe.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/01/epa-says-dont-touch-paticulate-filter.html

Just a another example of the Federal Gov't chipping away your freedoms......

 

[Jr_Explorer]

Starting in 2007, emissions controls for diesel engines became much more complicated. A cottage industry emerged to service the desire of diesel owners to remove the emissions controls. Kits to remove catalytic converters and particulate filters can be found with a simple Google search.

The EPA decided enough is enough. Edge Products of Ogden, Utah, has agreed to a $500,000 fine resulting from the company's sale of an electronic tuner that allows the removal of the particulate filter from diesel trucks. The fine would have been greater, but the EPA decided that the company is in such poor financial shape that they could not pay more. In addition to the fine, the company has to offer to buy back the kits it sold, and to engage in a pollution mitigation project to try to clean up the air we all breathe.

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2013/01/epa-says-dont-touch-paticulate-filter.html

Why are we the only country in the world that basically wants to make diesels illegal vs embrace them for the energy efficient engines that the rest of the world knows them to be? If we put as much legislative effort into PROMOTING diesels (or at least not crippling them) and biodiesel refining we could be close to energy independent in a few decades. Imagine if all the oil rich countries who basically hate us no longer had a product to sell to us?