Clean diesel: The yin to the hybrid's yang

The economical fuel is beginning to make a comeback in America withmodern formulations thatkeep the kick but ditch the dirt.




Clean diesel: The yin to the hybrid's yang

Mazda will sell a diesel version of its Mazda6 sedan later this year. It will be the first Japanese manufacturer to sell a diesel car in the U.S.



"There's no shortage of manufacturers investing in (diesel engines)," said Jeremy Acevedo, an industry analyst with Edmunds.com. "Now, they just need to resolve its image. For a lot of consumers here in America, they think of loud, gurgling cars pluming smoke."

Today's diesel is a far cry from Grandpa's. Billed as "clean" or, as Jeep calls it, "eco," modern diesel fuel is an ultra-low-sulfur formulation with dramatically lower emissions than previous-generation diesels while also offering a peppier driving experience and up to 35percent better fuel economy compared with gasoline. The down side: Diesel costs more, for both the vehicle and the fuel.






"All the manufacturers in the U.S. are scrambling for ways to improve their mpg," Cavano said. "The Germans like diesel. Japanese like hybrids. Chevy's got the Volt. Nissan's got the Leaf. So they're shuffling technology to get to the 54.5 mpg average they need to meet by 2025" under the new fuel economy standard set by the U.S. government last year.



In Orange County this week, diesel fuel cost $3.969 per gallon compared with $3.855 for regular gasoline, according to the website gasbuddy.com.

The biggest competition for diesel is "from squeaky-clean hybrids," Acevedo said. "Customers might spend the price premium on a hybrid as opposed to diesel because diesel is more expensive than gasoline. But the fact is, they are going to be increasing their mpgs."

Oftentimes dramatically.

  • Clean Diesel Technology Cars


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