Diesel Vehicles Gain Popularity, Good for Biodiesel
Diesel-powered vehicles are gaining in popularity, despite the higher price of diesel fuel compared to regular unleaded gasoline. And that rise in interest in those vehicles is good news for the biodiesel industry.
Business Week reports sales are brisk with many makes getting into the business:
Howard Cooper Volkswagen in Ann Arbor, Mich., for example, says that a buyer putting money down today will probably have to wait until January to receive his car. Volkswagen of America plans to sell 15,000 TDI Jettas this year. Next year, VW figures to sell more than 30,000.
The diesel sedan starts at $22,640, including shipping, and the station wagon at $24,240, a premium of about $2,000 over a similarly equipped model with a gasoline engine. BMW is also going ahead with plans to launch a diesel 3 series this fall. It also has plans for an X6 diesel after that. Honda is launching a diesel engine in an Acura sedan in 2010.
Perhaps the company most fully invested in diesel engines is Global Vehicles of Alpharetta, Ga., which plans to roll out Mahindra-branded pickup trucks at the end of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. Mahindra is the brand marketed by Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra. Some 200-plus dealers have signed up to sell the vehicles. Global Vehicles Marketing Director Xavier Beguiristain says the company is undeterred, but not unconcerned.
The obvious big attraction is the better mileage diesel vehicles get. Mahindra pickups are expected to get about 30 mpg. That’s more than 50 percent better than full-sized pickups and 30 percent better than some midsize pickups. And VW’s TDI Jetta could get up to 44 miles to the gallon.
This is good news for the biodiesel industry, as the increased production meets the increased demand (or is that the other way around?). Vehicle manufacturers do warn that using homemade biodiesel could void the warranty. So make sure to use commercially-approved biodiesel… at least until that three years, 36,000 miles is up.
5 Comments »
Robert Wood
It is great to see the market for diesel vehicles going well. It is however, frustrating to see that many American car companies like Ford, putting diesel vehicles on the non-American market. Ford has a great mini-van that runs on diesel, gets great mileage and is not available in the US. We need to make some major changes.
Ron Zeitner
It is good to see the American public is finally getting it. I personally build Biodiesel WVO Street Rods for a living. The only thing that concerns me is the amount of Biodiesel we ship overseas. Instead of using it here in the US, because they can get more money for it. This seems wrong, lets keep it in the US.
umphrey mcghee
It doesn’t matter how many diesels are manufactured for u.s. consumption if they cannot accomodate the highly corrosive b100. Please spend a few dollars more on the fuel lines and seals at manufacture and save the owner the trouble. The monetary cost is not all that much, but it is a lot of trouble. Thanks.
Dave LaBrenz
look forward to getting a new lite duty P.U. with a small diesel will not get a new truck until I can get one with 30mpg or better first will not buy another truck that gets 15mpg
The Daily Times
An interesting view of the automotive industry. Where do you see the future of the industry, will it ever recover or will there be major casulties?
Comments RSS feed — TrackBack URI
Leave a Comment