[Altair 4]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060528/BUSINESS01/605280708/1120/RSS

Excerpt:
"VW will drop the diesel versions of its Jetta, Golf and Beetle models for the 2007 model year, which begins this fall. The new U.S. limits for nitrogen oxide emissions are among the most stringent in the world."

and

"VW's diesel sales have boomed in 2006, helping propel the German brand to a 20.4% increase in U.S. sales. Diesels accounted for 22.7% of VW's U.S. sales for the first four months of 2006, nearly twice their traditional 12%, VW spokesman Steve Keyes said.

"They are becoming a significant part of our business, so it's disappointing," Keyes said. "If diesels continue to contribute 20%-22% of our sales, this has some significant impact on us."

and

"A new diesel Jetta that meets emissions standards in all 50 states should be available for the 2008 model year."

Looks like I need to hang on until at least 2008, then. Maybe VW will bring back the Jetta wagon by that model year. :rolleye:

 

[sjberg40]

:banghead:

There is a emissions testing station near my house... I'm going to see what my emissions test looks like on dino diesel vs. bio. (Not sure about other states, but WA doesn't require testing diesels)

 

[Green_Hornet]

It'd be nice if they brought a 2.5L V6 diesel in the Passat wagon w/a towing package. I've heard that when we get the sulfer out of our diesel, they'll be able to meet smog. Hope that's the case...

 

[EchoOfGecko]

But yet 9mpg Hummers and Lamborghinis are still legal. Seriously, sometimes I think the EPA is doing more harm than good.

 

[OCTICK]

But yet 9mpg Hummers and Lamborghinis are still legal. Seriously, sometimes I think the EPA is doing more harm than good.

Agreed!

 

[Urlik]

But yet 9mpg Hummers and Lamborghinis are still legal. Seriously, sometimes I think the EPA is doing more harm than good.

It's not the EPA really, it's CARB and the states that follow their rules.

 

[PZ]

It'd be nice if they brought a 2.5L V6 diesel in the Passat wagon w/a towing package. I've heard that when we get the sulfer out of our diesel, they'll be able to meet smog. Hope that's the case...

The latest Audi V6 TDI is 3.0L, 233HP and over 350ft/lb of TQ.

 

[sano]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[Purplezr2]

I love that fact that they will keep gas hog around but , like with the dodge cummins they had to change of the injection events to make it legal, so it burns more fuel but is not as harmful. What gives

 

[Tom Parish]

IIRC it's really the crappy diesel fuel produced by our oil companies which is forcing VW to drop these models.

One wonders if this isn't just a deal of collusion between the Detroit car manufacturers and the US oil companies to keep diesel cars off the road and keep gasoline cars in the showrooms and on the road.

Once diesel hybrids are mass produced the oil companies will really be sweating.

 

[aowhaus]

The turbo AND supercharged 1.4L 4-cylinder in the new Golf GT (not GTI) looks very promising. 170 hp from such a small engine with excellent fuel economy to spare is pretty impressive -- too bad it's only available overseas.

 

[Madman65]

It's not the EPA really, it's CARB and the states that follow their rules.

Another reason to dislike California....

 

[Medrosje]

Another reason to dislike California....

You know what. If the EPA actually made forward progress then you wouldn't have to worry about CARB. One could probably look at CARB as a good reason why the air you breath throughout this country is pretty good, given the increase in number of vehicles and increase in guzzler vehicles.

There are many states to dislike more than California, another one along the border of the US and Mexico quickly comes to mind...

 

[Medrosje]

IIRC it's really the crappy diesel fuel produced by our oil companies which is forcing VW to drop these models.

One wonders if this isn't just a deal of collusion between the Detroit car manufacturers and the US oil companies to keep diesel cars off the road and keep gasoline cars in the showrooms and on the road.

Once diesel hybrids are mass produced the oil companies will really be sweating.

I swear, I've been reading about shitty US diesel quality for years. Didn't they pass laws phasing in low sulfur diesel years ago, back in the early Clinton years?

I don't think the oil companies have to worry about mass production of diesels in the US. There's no market for these vehicles unless they produce the fuel. They are in the position of power to screw over the auto makers, not the other way around.

And I don't know if I'd call it collusion. I'd probably call it collective indifference between government, oil refiners and auto makers. Inevitably, it comes down to dollars and cents. Sulfur reduction in naturally high-level diesel fuel can't be cheap. So, how much are people willing to spend for low-sulfur fuel? The answer lies probably somewhere within the commercial trucking industry, as they're the ones that bear the brunt of increased diesel prices.

 

[bill1975]

wait, so if I understand this correctly, CAR COMPANIES can't make or import diesel cars, because the OIL/REFINING COMPANIES can't make the fuel cleaner? That makes no sense. Why punish VW because Shell, Exxon, whoever can't meet the higher standards?

At first I thought it was an issue of how the diesel technology works in the actual cars. But since Europe is ahead of the U.S. in using diesel, I didn't understand why higher standards would be a problem for the U.S.

But VW can't import their cars because the people who make the fuel can't lower the sulpher content?

 

[JamesBondage]

But VW can't import their cars because the people who make the fuel can't lower the sulpher content?

IIRC the Diesel fuel in Europe has more sulfur than our Diesel. CARB is at fault here.

 

[Holicow]

The air quality in SoCal has improved immensely in the last 20y, in spite of even more vehicle miles.

Stupid CARB.

Yeah, right. Maybe you like smog.

 

[VW4.0L]

IIRC the Diesel fuel in Europe has more sulfur than our Diesel. CARB is at fault here.

N-O-O to that, believe me. Diesel in US is worse then in some 3rd world countries and it's beyond understanding of any european as to why it's commonly more expensive then gas (if I remember my high school chemistry correctly, diesel is always cheaper and easier to produce). When you complain about fuel price increase, remember dudes and girls that feed most of this country-coast to coast big rig drivers. When price of diesel comes up their incomes come down. Sometimes, very dramatically. And prices that they are paid for deliveries don't ever come up enough to cover the difference...

 

[PlatzDa]

N-O-O to that, believe me. Diesel in US is worse then in some 3rd world countries and it's beyond understanding of any european as to why it's commonly more expensive then gas (if I remember my high school chemistry correctly, diesel is always cheaper and easier to produce). When you complain about fuel price increase, remember dudes and girls that feed most of this country-coast to coast big rig drivers. When price of diesel comes up their incomes come down. Sometimes, very dramatically. And prices that they are paid for deliveries don't ever come up enough to cover the difference...

True enough. And, if you ever go to Europe, you will notice that you see less smoke, and smell less stank from diesel motors than you experience here. Even this bit of anectdotal evidence speaks volumes about the crappy quality of US diesel fuel...

 

[Sciteach]

I may be wrong here, so if I am correct me.

California will allow Hummers and Limo's and Jay Leno's cars, but won't allow a "new" VW TDI to be sold. Per gallon of fuel the TDI (40mpg - trust me I know)will put out much less pollution. Now throw in this wrinkle. If it is used ( I think over 5000 miles) I can buy the TDI in Cali. And this "policy" has done what?

California cities dominate the lists of most polluted cities in the nation for all measures. Ten of the 25 worst cities for short-term levels of particle pollution are from California; as are 7 of the worst 25 for year-round particle levels and 9 of the worst 25 for ozone. Twenty-three California counties have unhealthy short-term levels of particle pollution, while 13 failed the year-round test.

Now, Cali represents over a 15% percent share of sales for some cars. If I was a manufacture and I knew that 15% of the market was off limits to me, do you think I would still produce that care. Probably not. Glad I got mine before it became extinct.