Here's a wake-up call for American drivers. Would you be interested in driving an eco-friendly Ford that gets 65 miles per gallon? What would you say to a luxury, 5-passenger sedan that gets 51 mpg and has a top speed of 134 miles per hour? Better yet, why not splurge for a rocket-ship German sport sedan which boasts 33 mpg in mixed driving and boasts a top speed of 155 mph with 428 pounds of foot torque.
The sad reality for the American driving public is that these spectacular vehicles are already in production. The technology powering these vehicles is here today. The only problem is getting your hands on one. Of the three vehicles mentioned, only the BMW 335d is currently approved for U.S. production, and you'll likely have to special order it. The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic and the new Audi A4-TDIe are not even available in the United States.
While much has been made about upcoming hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, little attention has been placed on some truly amazing cars with outstanding fuel economy and ultra-low emissions. The new Audi A3 TDI recently won the 2010 Green Car Of The Year Award, besting some pretty economical competitors, including the 2010 Prius. This was the second year in row a clean diesel took the award.
Part of the secret behind the recent awards lies in the fact that new clean diesel cars offer outstanding fuel economy without compromising your driving experience. As the owner of a 2009 Jetta TDI (2009 Green Car winner), I took the new 2010 Prius for a test drive when it arrived at a local dealership. Would I trade my TDI in for the new Prius? To answer that question, perhaps you should try driving both at 110 mph and see how they compare. Both vehicles offer great fuel economy when driven conservatively. When you factor in real-world driving conditions and the overall driving experience, a new clean diesel automobile is a more appealing choice. The additional torque provided by the more powerful TDI power plants makes them more enjoyable to drive than any hybrid.
A perfect case-in-point is the upcoming Chevy Volt. The car is no doubt going to be an abysmal failure by most measures. Americans will not be lining up to buy a car that goes only 40 miles before it turns into the equivalent of a horse-drawn carriage. Had GM decided not to scrap the EV1 or spent their money on a clean diesel program instead, we might have something akin to the new Audi A4-TDIe with a price tag some $10,000 less than the Volt. There's a reason for the waiting list at your VW dealership for a Jetta TDI. It's a great car!
It's time for Congress to get on the bandwagon and improve accessibility to these economical, ultra-low emission vehicles. The fact that our American automobile manufactures chose to discount diesel technologies should not deprive us of the opportunity to drive a vehicle that gets 50 miles per gallon without sacrificing the driving experience. The federal excise tax penalty for clean diesel should be eliminated since clean diesel vehicles are actually producing less pollution than their gasoline counterparts. Government roadblocks deterring the importation of these vehicles also need to be removed. If more people had the opportunity to drive these remarkable vehicles, we'd be importing a lot less foreign oil and have more fun doing it.
For more information on clean diesel and other auto news, you can visit the following links..
Audi A4-TDIe Test Drive
Audi A3, 2010 Green Car of the Year Award
BMW 335d Road Test at Car and Driver
Ford Fiesta ECOnetic Review at Businessweek
10 Best Engines of 2010 from Ward's Auto