Clean at Last; Diesel Makes a Green Comeback
Editorial: Because they could not meet modern air quality standards, diesel cars have almost disappeared from American highways. Now, though, they may be making a comeback.
At last week's Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, German car makers showcased a number of cars equipped with "Bluetec," a group of technologies used to make diesel clean. VW, Daimler Chrysler and BMW AG all plan to introduce diesel cars to the U.S. market in 2008 that the companies say will meet emission standards for all states.
New, ultra-low sulfur fuels mandated by federal EPA make clean diesel possible. These cleaner formulations began showing up in California filling stations last summer.
In addition to cleaner fuels, many new diesel cars are equipped with tanks that dispense urea, an odorless liquid that renders smog-forming nitrous oxide harmless. To work optimally, the urea has to be replenished every 10,000 miles or so. Diesel doubters worry that less conscientious car owners won't make the effort.
Still, because diesel is so fuel-efficient, it has environmental benefits that conventional cars don't. Robert Sawyer, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, had good things to say about diesel when he visited the L.A. auto show last week. Among other things, he noted, "iesel produces 20 percent less greenhouse gas than conventional cars.
"That makes it a particularly useful tool in California's efforts to reduce global warning. This fuel once shunned by the environmentally conscious may soon be the fuel of choice for those same people.
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