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See a list of clean diesel vehicles for sale in the U.S.
View some of the clean diesel vehicles coming soon to the U.S.
Click here for more information about tax incentives for diesel cars, trucks and SUVs or visit the IRS website
Read the latest news and product announcements from auto shows across the country.
Light-Duty Diesel News
March 24, 2008 BusinessWeek
Clean diesel cars offer high mileage and impressive performance, but their reputation as smoky and smelly alternatives could slow U.S. sales
March 21, 2008 The Detroit News
Growing number of automakers will bring the technology to market.
March 20, 2008 Diesel Technology Forum
Announcement marks the 150th Anniversary of Rudolf Diesel’s BirthdayWASHINGTON, DC – Reacting to the announcement made Mercedes-Benz at the 2008 NY Auto Show regarding its launch of three BlueTEC SUVs – the ML 320 BlueTEC, the R...
March 19, 2008 The New York Times
Is it real? The M-Class is one of three diesel-driven Mercedes utility vehicles – along with the GL- and R-Class Bluetecs – that go on sale in October, the first diesels in the United States to meet emissions rules in all 50...
March 19, 2008 Forbes
It's no secret rising gas prices have consumers searching for more fuel-efficient vehicles that can reduce toxic emissions and pain at the pump.
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Cars, Trucks & SUVs
In this era of sky-high gasoline prices, Americans are increasingly looking to fuel-efficient diesel as a solution to help alleviate their pain at the pump. And because today’s diesel vehicles are also clean, quiet and fun-to-drive, many consumers are learning diesel is an environmentally conscious option that does not sacrifice power or performance.
The Diesel Difference - Diesel vehicles are extremely fuel efficient, typically getting 20 to 40 percent more miles to the gallon than a comparable gasoline engine.
- Respected automotive web site Edmunds.com found that diesel’s slightly higher purchase price compared to a conventional gasoline vehicle is quickly offset by fuel-economy savings. Diesel drivers have recouped the initial premium anywhere from six months to four years following the vehicle’s purchase. But with hybrid vehicles, Edmunds reports that “this so-called break-even period is longer — in some cases as much as eight years longer.”
- Diesel could help reduce America’s petroleum consumption. According to officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, America could save up to 1.4 million barrels of oil per day – an amount equivalent to the oil we currently import from Saudi Arabia – if one-third of U.S. cars, pickups and SUVs were diesel-powered.
- The nationwide availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel allows manufacturers to engineer the cleanest diesel vehicles ever. By 2009, diesel vehicles will be certified to the same stringent emissions standards as gasoline cars, pickups and SUVs.
- Thanks to their inherent fuel efficiency, diesel engines also offer a viable and readily available strategy for policymakers interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Diesels provide superior power and performance, an important feature for American drivers who want to save money at the pump without sacrificing their driving experience.
- Diesel drivers have the option of filling their tanks with blends of biodiesel, a domestically produced, renewable fuel that reduces U.S. oil dependence and contributes to our own economy.
- A study published by policy think-tank RAND Corp. reported that diesel topped all other options in a cost-benefit analysis from both a consumer and societal perspective.
- American drivers who purchase cleaner-burning diesel cars, trucks and
SUVs are eligible for similar tax incentives as purchasers of
gasoline-hybrid electric vehicles. Visit the IRS website for additional information.
A Growing Market
Data compiled by R.L. Polk & Co. show that registration of diesel passenger vehicles in the U.S. – including cars, trucks and SUVs – has grown by 80 percent since 2000, up from 301,000 diesel vehicles that year to 543,777 diesel registrations in 2005. For the all-important light-duty market, diesel registrations nearly doubled (95 percent growth) from 2000-2005, with 31 percent growth coming in 2005 alone. When given a choice between a gasoline or diesel engine, consumers purchased the diesel engine option almost half the time (45 percent) in 2005.
According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, there are more than 4.8 million diesel cars, pickups and SUVs registered in the United States.
Most analysts expect continued growth in the diesel market. Researchers at J.D. Power and Associates predict that diesel sales will approximately triple in the next 10 years, accounting for more than 10 percent of U.S. vehicle sales by 2015 – up from 3.6 percent in 2005.
In a separate report, J.D. Power researchers found that the percentage of new-vehicle shoppers who are considering a hybrid has declined while interest in clean diesel has grown. In 2007, 23 percent of new car shoppers would consider a clean diesel, up from only 12 percent in 2006. On average, car buyers interested in diesel are willing to pay an additional $1,491 for the clean diesel option and expect an average additional fuel economy of 15 mpg.
Another report, Is Diesel Set to Boom in the U.S.?, predicts that sales of clean diesel cars, trucks and SUVs will outpace hybrids over the next five years. The report, prepared by UBS Limited in conjunction with automotive industry consultant Ricardo, predicts that sales of both diesel and hybrid vehicles will grow in the U.S. as legislators increase fuel economy and emissions standards. Diesel vehicles, however, will outpace hybrids by 2012, selling 1.5 million vehicles, compared at an expected 1.2 million hybrids.
Click on the following links to see a list of clean diesel vehicles available for sale in the U.S. and a roster of additional diesel vehicles consumers can expect to find in showrooms during the next few years.
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