It's about time.
I like the part about diesel cars appreciating in value.

http://mydrive.roadfly.com/blog/ExJxZ3/

 

At the mileage levels they are proposing, it would easily make cost vs. value sense compared to the $.60/gal or so preminum over gasoline. Plus, it's a nice way to show a Prius an even cleaner, much quicker tailpipe.

 

I can't wait. I heard also that in Norway, they are trying to pass a bill to eliminate the sale of any gas powered engine in new passenger vehicles.

 

My 2007 E-320 Mercedes Bluetec diesel has performed beyond my expectations. Highway fuel consumption runs about 37 mpg & local driving runs about 33 mpg. The only downside is the rip-off prices for diesel fuel!

 

I'm currently running a little french number here....A Renault Clio....1.5 turbo diesel,5 speed....Probably a bit small for you guys...smaller than say your Escort...but larger than the Smart...Have a looksy on ebay.co.uk ....For me over here....yearly road tax is £35 a year...instead of £180 for a bigger car....Running to/from work...wandering local I'm getting in the region of 60mpg, according to trip computer....With a gallon of diesel here converted to $$....working out about $11...every little helps......

 

I heard one news program that said the raising cost of diesel is due to the increased effort to refine/make ethanol.

 

Thats a load of BULL!!!

The Japs and the Euro Auto makers are on the verge of launching an onslaught of clean efficient diesels on these shores and Detroit knows it. Now, you figure Detroit and big oil are in bed together so, they raise diesel prices to make them look like a bad idea, thus lulling interest and the diesels staying off shore. If it wasn't for the trucking industry crying about diesel prices we'd be paying $7/gal now.
I grew up in Ireland when everybody drove gas guzzlers, namely Fords and the big British brands. When gas prices went up, the Japs had a diesel motor option on every car they had on the line. Ford used the Peugeot motor in their cars to varying sucess and Toyota and Isuzu took the suv market from Land Rover because they had no reliable diesel at the time. Guess what, no emission laws to keep them out.
So here in the USA we have Detroit making gas guzzlers and big oil getting rich feeding them. Have a BS emission laws to keep the efficient diesels out and bingo, your "helping" the environment and every body's getting rich on your pay cheque.
Enter Euro diesels, 50+mpg, cheaper than a hybrid, WAY less carbon per mile travelled and what happens. Big oil sells less gas and Detroit looses market share, simple. A, Toyota Tacoma diesel will kill the Dakota and ranger market over night and put a major dent in the 1/2 truck market.
VW, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu etc will be all over the market with clean diesel while Detroit is struggling to figure why nobody is buying a 10mpg explorer.

 

Ummm...you do realize that diesel prices have risen everywhere in the world, not just the US...right?

 

Lay off the caffeine. In a America, it's called a "pay check", except maybe in LA...

I agree with you by the way. I thought the same thing when the fuel standards were changed to meet the tough Tier 2 standards and the Euro diesels were out of sync.

They're coming now and there's nothing Big Oil, The Big Three or the EPA can do about it.

 

VW of Carlsbad,Ca has a '09 demo diesel Jetta in stock right now. It's plastered with decals for advertising. My buddy drove one and said it cranked! Only bummer is that VW does not plan on ramping up production of Jettas. They are going to make 35% of the planned production diesel and the balance gassers.

 

Yes, I realise that but, the transport industry will always keep a cap on diesel prices, otherwise we will have a serious bout on inflation as growing and transport costs of food go through the roof.

Also, when the biggest consumer of oil switches over the energy efficient cars and trucks, we should see a drop in oil consumption plus, when John Mc gets elected and starts building some nuclear power plants, consumption and reliance of middle eastern oil will become less and less.

I'm all for keeping American money in America and not funding terrorists to come and blow us up. I'm sure big oil will be happy with a 50% drop in its profits and Detroit should start employing some people that know whats going on on the ground.

 

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for this to happen.

It's all about supply and demand. Remember back when diesel was 40-50 cents cheaper than gas? More diesel vehicles on the road and now we are paying the premium.

 

its no longer about supply and demand here in the USA. The reason we have to pay so much more for Diesel is because when we switched to ULSD it allowed our diesel to be export to the EU who has been on ULSD for many years. Did you know that we export between 300,000 and 500,000 barrels of diesel per day to other countries. IIRC each barrel hold 42 US gallons and that is one heck of a lot of fuel we send to other countries that should be kept here for our own use. BTW the extra cost of making ULSD should of put diesel prices in line with regular gas not a dollar plus per gallon more then regular gas some places are at right now.

JMHO