“The definition of the World Green Car of the Year was expanded a bit today when the World Car of The Year organization named Volkswagen‘s BlueMotion product brand – including the Polo, Passat, and Golf models – as the 2010 World Green Car during the 2010 New York Auto Show. The 59-member jury’s statement declaring BlueMotion the winner took a swipe at hybrid technology when is said:
It is not necessary to add an electric motor and a heavy battery pack to achieve class-leading efficiency. Based on Volkswagen’s common-rail diesel engines, the BlueMotion models are among the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the market. In fact, the Passat BlueMotion can travel just about 1,000 miles on one tank of fuel in the European cycle. As far as internal combustion engines go today, these models are the ultimate you can get.
Even with these critical words, the organization did pick the ToyotaPrius and the HondaInsight as the Green Car of the Year runners-up. In other World COTY news, the VW Polo won the overall World Car of the Year title.”
Volkswagen TDIs, including the Race Touareg prototype, celebrated a one-two-three podium lockout at the finish of the toughest challenge worldwide in motorsport.
For the second year in a row, clean diesel technology earns the top award from Green Car Journal. The Audi A3 TDI was announced as the 2010 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Car Show earlier this month.
The diesel hatchback station wagon was select from among an impressive group of fuel-efficient vehicles, including the Honda Insight hybrid, Mercury Milan hybrid, Toyota Prius, and the Volkswagen Golf TDI.
The Audi A3 TDI touts a 42 miles per gallon highway fuel economy, “a 50 percent improvement over the gasoline A3 variant that makes the car very economical to operate with low relative CO2 emissions.” And, to top off the improved efficiency, Audi has approved the use of B5 Biodiesel in the A3 TDI.
While many auto manufacturers are looking to hybrids and electrics, Volkswagen stays focused on fuel efficient clean diesel passenger vehicles. Currently making up less than 3% market share in the US, J.D. Power forecasts the diesel passenger segment to grow to 8% by 2015. Not even close to the 50% market share seen in Europe, but Volkswagen hopes to own that 8%. Why Diesel? The Volkswagen TDI format improves fuel economy by 30% and puts out 25% less greenhouse gas emissions than what a gasoline engine would. Read interview Mark Barnes, COO of Volkswagen America.
With revived concern over the cost of gasoline and the desire for increased fuel economy, clean diesels are proving to be a tempting choice for the American consumer.
Volkswagen can testify to the selling power of clean diesel vehicles–June brought in the highest sales of TDIs since the release of the current lineup. According to a recent press release, “the Jetta SportWagen once again posted its best sales month ever with sales of 1,982 units. Clean diesel TDI’s accounted for 81 percent of SportWagen sales, 40 percent of Jetta sedan sales, and 29 percent of Touareg sales.” Adding to their fleet of available clean diesels, Volkswagen plans the release of the 2010 Golf TDI this fall.
Positive sales from Volkswagen may lure more manufacturers to bring diesel technology to the American market. In fact, manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes already offer diesel models.
Volkwagen TDI drivers are often strong supporters of alternatitive fuels. Seen here at the Propel SLU Station is the 2007 and 2004 Jetta TDI, and 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon.
Today’s clean diesel vehicles are not the smog-belching, clickity-clacking diesel vehicles you may be picturing. New diesels have quieter engines, enhanced performance and reduced emissions. A recent segment on National Public Radio, Diesel Cars Attempt a Comeback with Clean Diesels, reports on the reemergence of diesel vehicles into the American market as a quieter, cleaner next generation.
On an uncharacteristically sunny spring afternoon in Washington, we met Nicki at the Bellevue/Factoria station. Nicki, proudly displays her son’s 1995 Jetta TDI.
A native of Germany, Nicki is a big fan of the TDI platform, the Jetta is one of three she has at her home in Mercer Island, WA. “I fill all three of them with Propel biodiesel,” she says proudly. We certainly appreciate her love of TDIs and her support of clean fuels!
In their continuing mission to expand the distribution of biodiesel, Propel Biofuels recently flipped the switch on their Factoria Clean Fuel Point. Propel Clean Fuel Points are a unique tank/dispenser kiosk that can easily be added to the footprint of existing gas stations. Like every Clean Fuel Point, the Factoria station is integrated with CleanDrive emissions reporting. With each fill customers have the ability to see how much they’re reducing their carbon footprint. CleanDrive is available FREE to Propel customers.
CleanDrive reports show criteria like:
- Reductions in CO2 by using biodiesel
- Barrels of oil displaced
- Equivalent annual impact of mature trees
This new Clean Fuel Point, like all Propel locations is open 24/7, takes all major credit cards and serves only the highest quality biodiesel.
Just last week news broke that Safeway is switching its trucking fleet to biodiesel. This week Broomfield, Colorado’s Corporate Express has announced a similar move. To help curb harmful greenhouse emissions and enhance the performance of their fleet’s diesel engines, the company is now fueling their 45 trucks with B20.
“Using biodiesel in our trucks will advance our distribution while decreasing emissions and further reducing our Company’s carbon footprint,” said Jay Mutschler, President of Corporate Express US.
This is great news for biodiesel advocates as the use of the clean-burning, renewable fuel by companies dependent on diesel vehicles greatly enhances the fuel’s legitimacy as a mainstream fuel source.
We’ve been hearing it for decades: the next breakthrough fuel technology is just around the corner. Hydrogen, electric, fuel cells–all have shown promise to free the world from its dependence on fossil fuels. Yet for one reason or another, we wait and wait for the automakers to catch up or the technology to perfected. Meanwhile, in a relatively short-span, researchers have developed a method of extracting oil from algae and converting it to a viable fuel source. What makes algal biodiesel different from the aforementioned panaceas? Consumers will not need to wait on Detroit to take advantage of it as the current and future fleet of diesel vehicles will be able to use it with no conversion required. More importantly, algae is a rapidly renewable biodiesel feedstock that does not compete with food sources like soy beans or corn. Leading the way is Solazyme, a bioenergy upstart out of San Francisco, in a unique partnership with Chevron. Unique because instead of eschewing the help of big oil, Solazyme founders Jonathan Wilson and Harrison Dillon embraced Chevron’s R&D muscle as way to accelerate algal-biodiesel’s path to widespread commercial use. For more information check out this post from Wired magazine, and be sure to watch the trailer to “Fields of Gold,” the biodiesel documentary produced by biodiesel advocate Josh Tickell.
Safeway has boldly chosen to become one of the nation’s first major retailers to convert its fleet to clean burning biodiesel. No doubt the benefits of biodiesel were hard for the Pleasonton, California-based company to ignore.
In addition to improved engine performance, less harmful emissions, and a fuel source that isn’t tied to the volatility of the Middle East, none of the company’s 1,000 fleet vehicles will require any major mechanical conversion as biodiesel performs exceptionally well in any diesel motor.
BMW makes no reference regarding the use of biodiesel in these vehicles, but rest assured we’ll pass along any warranty information or blend recommendations put out from Bavaria.
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While many auto manufacturers are looking to hybrids and electrics, Volkswagen stays focused on fuel efficient clean diesel passenger vehicles. Currently making up less than 3% market share in the US, J.D. Power forecasts the diesel passenger segment to grow to 8% by 2015. Not even close to the 50% market share seen in Europe, but Volkswagen hopes to own that 8%. Why Diesel? The Volkswagen TDI format improves fuel economy by 30% and puts out 25% less greenhouse gas emissions than what a gasoline engine would.
Volkswagen can testify to the selling power of clean diesel vehicles–
Positive sales from Volkswagen may lure more manufacturers to bring diesel technology to the American market. In fact, manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes already offer diesel models.
Today’s clean diesel vehicles are not the smog-belching, clickity-clacking diesel vehicles you may be picturing. New diesels have quieter engines, enhanced performance and reduced emissions. A recent segment on National Public Radio, 
