Clean Diesel Vehicles Ready to Help Meet “20 in 10″ Goals

From Diesel Technology Forum

“In January, President Bush called on Americans during his State of the Union speech to ‘expand the use of clean diesel vehicles’ as part of his new energy plan to cut gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next decade. America’s diesel industry is ready to respond and add to the estimated 4.8 million diesel cars, pickups and SUVs already on the road today. Numerous manufacturers, including Dodge, General Motors, Ford, BMW Group, Mercedes, Jeep, Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Mitsubishi, are planning to introduce new clean diesel vehicles in the next two to three years, as technological innovation promising slashed emissions meets consumer demand for fuel economy and high performance.

“Diesel cars, trucks and SUVs deliver superior fuel economy – typically 20% to 40% better than a comparable gasoline vehicle – without requiring drivers to sacrifice the power and performance Americans demand. Currently, diesel fuel is on average 26 cents cheaper per gallon than regular gasoline – a national average of $2.79 for diesel compared to $3.05 for gasoline – according to the Energy Information Administration. And today’s diesel vehicles are clean, quiet and fun-to-drive.