New Diesel Engines for Cars and Trucks

Congress and the President have just enacted legislation requiring the Corporate Average Fuel Economy for each car manufacturer to average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The thought of how that would impact your gasoline bill right now is probably dancing before your eyes as you read this.

Last month I wrote about how some manufacturers are using hybrid technology to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions while still maintaining good performance. Toyota/Lexus is the leading manufacturer in this area. They developed the predominant technology and are licensing it to other manufacturers such as Ford and Nissan.

Other companies are pursuing a different path to improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and good performance. Of particular note, Honda has actually stopped production of its hybrid vehicles. Honda is pursuing Diesel engines. Honda has found that they can get better fuel economy, very low emissions, and good performance from a newly developed Diesel engine. A similar engine, selling in Honda Accords in Europe right now, gets 52 MPG.

Mercedes and Volkswagen, which never sold a US hybrid vehicle, have also developed a new technology Diesel engine. Their technology, called BlueTec, requires the driver to add a special additive to a small reservoir every few tanks of diesel fuel. The additive is used to eliminate black exhaust. Mercedes and Volkswagen are the only diesels that require drivers to add this special additive.

Ford developed a new Diesel for their 2008 Super-Duty trucks. Ford teaches their technicians that this new engine is actually an “air cleaner”; the exhaust leaving the tail pipe is cleaner than the air drawn in from the surroundings.

General Motors has had a very successful, and very well designed, diesel for their medium duty trucks since 2003. For 2008 they have added a new technology that improves tail pipe emissions. General Motors is developing a smaller version of that diesel engine to put into SUV’s and light duty pickup trucks, hopefully by 2010.

Many of you may be thinking “I don’t want a smoky, smelly, rattling old diesel.” The diesels that you are remembering are no more. Federal emission standards that took effect this Fall require very clean diesel exhaust. All diesels now incorporate systems to filter and eliminate black exhaust, and almost all of the smell typical of diesel engines. Improvements in design, manufacture and computerized controls are enabling car makers to produce quieter, easier to operate diesels.

Diesels also have more powerful acceleration than the diesels that were in passenger vehicles in the 1980’s. All diesels now use turbo-chargers, and most use high performance turbo-chargers.

An historical shortcoming of diesels were a very limited engine speed range. Auto manufacturers have been developing automatic transmissions with more gears to improve the efficiency of gasoline engines. If you drive a 2004 or older vehicle your automatic transmission probably has four gears, or four speeds. Most 2007 model year trucks now have six speed transmissions. Some high-end luxury cars have seven speed automatic transmissions, and manufacturers are working right now on eight speed transmissions. These automatic transmissions will allow diesel engines to operate very smoothly and develop excellent performance and fuel economy from the stop line to highway speeds.

The net result to drivers over the next few years will be that you will get better fuel economy, while producing less pollution, be it by driving a new hybrid vehicle or a new diesel. And, whatever the technology, we will be prepared to help you maintain your vehicle.

Brian Klaubert has written for the Neighborhood News for five years, and owns Christian Brothers Automotive – Hamilton Mill on Braselton Hwy in Dacula. They have won “Best Mechanic” in the 2007 “Best of Gwinnett” award in Gwinnett Magazine.