Fuel: Diesel boom predicted for U.S. as cleaner fuel comes to pumps

Diesel fuel seems to will have a boom soon as cleaner fuel comes to pumps. And which manufacturer is better prepared than Audi and Volkswagen with their long diesel history? Audi is going to prove their knowledge with the participance of the world's first diesel-powered car at LeMans, the Audi R10.

After decades of disinterest from American consumers, diesel manufacturers are eagerly predicting a boom with new cleaner fuels arriving at pumps this fall and a host of new products coming to market in the next few years.

"We think diesel is part of the solution" to energy shortages, said John Moulton, president of the powertrain division of Robert Bosch Corporation. Bosch hosted an event at Irwindale Speedway on Tuesday which showcased a number of diesel vehicles currently available here and abroad. Among the companies also represented were Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Honda, Honeywell and Mercedes.

Currently, only 3 percent of the vehicles on U.S. roads are diesel. Moulton predicted that will grow to 15 percent over the next 10 years. In Europe roughly 50 percent of all vehicles are diesel-powered.

Growth of diesel transportation in the U.S. has been limited by strict air quality regulations and because American refineries produce a different formula of diesel fuel. But on October 15 of this year, ultralow sulfur diesel fuel will be introduced nationwide. Bosch engineers called the new fuel "one piece of the puzzle" that will allow introduction of new diesel vehicles, many currently available in Europe.

Legislators are still debating enforcement of key elements of the diesel emissions laws that will be phased in between 2007 and 2010. As a result, consumers are unlikely to see new diesel vehicles on the market until the 2008 model year.

A number of diesel vehicles were at the event held at the Irwindale Speedway and Bosch spokespeople portrayed them as lively, fun-to-drive cars — probably to counter the former concept of diesels as slow and noisy. Because of technological advancements, diesels now offer 30-percent better fuel economy, have 50-percent better torque, yet provide a 15-to-20-percent decrease in carbon-dioxide emissions over gasoline engines.

Related news: Foursprung, Fuel, Diesel, Audi, Audi Q7, Audi R10

Source: Inside Line

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