Audi Says Not So Fast to Plug-in

Audi of American President Johan de Nysschen brought the fight for diesel vs plugs to the forefront once again. Not surprisingly, given their success in Europe with diesels, Audi is a proponent of diesel technology.  And they would like it if the federal government would stop encouraging plug-ins so much.  He'd prefer it if they let the 'marketplace decide.' 

But other car makers and the Obama administration seem to disagree with him.

Johan de Nysschen points out that if 1/3 of Americans drove diesels, "America would save 1.5 million barrels of oil a day."

"I understand why political leaders have fallen in love with hybrids and electrics. But this may be the one time you'll hear someone in Washington say it shouldn't be a monogamous relationship," de Nysschen said.

But that's not enough for some. With oil dependence and environmental issues coming to the forefront, gas and diesel are taking the backseat to electricity right now.

The Obama administration has given $2.4 billion in cash grants to help develop battery technology and electric vehicles. Congress has set up $7,500 in tax breaks to those who buy cars like the Volt or plug-in Prius in the coming years. And Obama hopes to have 3 electric vehicle plants and 30 advanced battery factories running by 2015. That sort of production could lead to the production of 500,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles a year by 2015.

Those sort of federal incentives will allow plug-ins and electric vehicles to compete at first, given the head start diesels and gas only engines have.

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Ford Pushes Toyota Prius Out of the Top Spot

An 'ultra efficient' Ford Fiesta ECOnetic has pushed the Toyota Prius out of the top spot in fuel efficiency ratings in Australia according to the GoAutoNews (via FreeP).

At 63 mpg combined, the Ford Fiesta beats out the 60 mpg for the Prius in the Australia rating system. For comparison purposes, the Prius is rated at 50 mpg in the US. The Ford Fiesta ECOnetic is a diesel. Ford has no plans on introducing the sub-brand or to sell the Fiesta ECOnetic in the States, for now.

The Fiesta uses a 1.6-liter turbodiesel with low resistance tires and uses low-viscosity oil.  The ECOnetic TDCi engine produces 66 kW of power and 200 Nm of torque.

Other efficiency focused changes include:

• A specially-calibrated Duratorq TDCi common rail diesel engine
• Longer final drive gear ratio
• Addition of a green shift indicator light in the instrument cluster, which signals the optimal point to change gear to maximize fuel economy
• Improved aerodynamics – lowered ride height, air deflectors, unique wheel covers
• Weight reduction by removing the spare for a tire mobility kit

Press Release Follows:
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – October 16, 2009: Ford Australia today set a new fuel efficiency benchmark for the auto industry in this country by introducing Australia's most fuel efficient car – the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic.

With a combined fuel consumption rating of just 3.7 litres per 100 kilometres1, the fuel efficiency of Fiesta ECOnetic surpasses all other vehicles currently on sale in Australia, including petrol/electric hybrid models.

It also produces fewer CO2 emissions than any other conventional, internal combustion engine vehicle, with an official CO2 emission rating of 98 grams per kilometre – making it only the second vehicle in Australia to achieve CO2 emissions under 100g/km and the only non-hybrid vehicle to attain such an ultra-low CO2 standard.
PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

"Ford is fully committed to working towards fuel economy leadership in every segment in which we compete, across local and imported vehicles," said Ford Australia President and CEO Marin Burela.

"The Fiesta ECOnetic is evidence of how Ford is looking at a portfolio of technology solutions to meet the sustainability challenge and how we are intent on delivering affordable and accessible products to our customers,"

Fiesta ECOnetic will officially go on sale on December 1 with a recommended offer price of $24,990 driveaway, offering consumers one of the most affordable and fuel efficient vehicle packages ever presented for sale in Australia.

"Fiesta ECOnetic perfectly balances a stylish, affordable car that considers the environment and our future, without compromising the style or technology which has made the Fiesta one of Australia and the world’s most popular small cars," Mr Burela said.

"It brings together a whole range of clever thinking and technologies that are available right now, creating a 'greener' vehicle that delivers economy without compromise and genuine savings against the fuel cost of daily driving."

Fiesta ECOnetic looks and functions just like a conventional Fiesta, using conventional diesel powertrain technology, yet it delivers industry-leading fuel efficiency, as well as best-in-class CO2 emissions.

Using a combination of the latest generation common rail diesel powertrain, together with a carefully selected list of features specifically engineered to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, Fiesta ECOnetic achieves a combined fuel consumption rating of 3.7 L/100km1.

The detailed urban/extra urban results for Fiesta ECOnetic are also class- and industry-leading achievements, with urban cycle fuel consumption of 4.6 L/100km and an extra urban (highway) cycle figure of just 3.2 L/100km1 – the latter being 13.5 per cent more efficient than the leading hybrid model.

This efficiency is matched by impressive driving quality and performance, with the 1.6-litre Duratorq TDCi engine producing maximum power of 66 kW at 4000 rpm and peak torque of 200 Nm at a very accessible 1750 rpm.

"The challenge for our engineering team in developing the ECOnetic vehicle line was to deliver the maximum reduction in fuel economy and CO2 emissions using available and affordable technologies," Mr Burela said.

This reduction in fuel usage and CO2 emissions has been achieved through the use of:
# A specially-calibrated Duratorq 1.6-litre TDCi common rail diesel engine with coated Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)
# Low rolling resistance tyres
# Unique transmission and final drive ratios
# Improved aerodynamics – lowered ride height, air deflectors, unique wheel covers
# Weight reduction through the provision of a tyre mobility kit in lieu of a traditional spare wheel/tyre
# Addition of a green shift indicator light in the instrument cluster, which signals the optimal point to change gear to maximise fuel economy

In addition to its industry-leading fuel efficiency, Fiesta ECOnetic also offers a comprehensive list of active and passive safety features, culminating in a 5-star safety rating from ANCAP.

Driver and front passenger airbags, head and thorax front side airbags, and a driver's knee airbag are all fitted as standard equipment, along with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Traction Control and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

"In addition to its full complement of safety equipment, comfort and convenience features, Fiesta ECOnetic will provide the next step up for customers who prioritise fuel efficiency and low CO2 emission performance when it comes to choosing a new vehicle," Mr Burela said.

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Pros and Cons of Diesels

With the new 'clean diesels' coming in greater numbers, I thought it would be a good time to discuss diesels, and throw in a few comparisons to hybrids and see what happens.

Pros of Diesels

• Efficiency!
• Fuel Economy
• Lower emissions (CO2)
• Higher Torque / More Power
• Engines last a long time
  

The biggest pro when it comes to diesels is the efficiency of the oil burner.  The engine is actually simpler (as long as we don't worry about the emissions, and more power can be derived from a given gallon of fuel.  That means we can get higher torque and better fuel efficiency out of a diesel than we can get in a gasoline engine.

And the higher fuel efficiency means you get lower carbon dioxide emissions, which you would think would mean environmentalists and lawmakers would jump at the chance to promote diesels.  But it's not that clear cut when it comes to emissions, but I'll talk more about that later.

In fact, diesels can be more efficient than hybrids on the highways, which is why you see some recommend diesels over hybrids when you have long highway commutes.  I've seen guidelines range from 25-40% of fuel economy gains over conventional gas engines.  Or if you plan on towing or loading heavy loads, you are more likely to want a diesel engine.  That's why diesel-hybrids are the choice of the rail roads.

Also, the engines tend to be sturdier.  Just look at the recommendation for boating engines and you'll see that they can last a long, long time.

Cons of Diesels

• Emissions (Soot)
• Oil to Gallon 
• Sound (not so bad anymore)
• Availability
  
• Cost
• Cost of Engine
• Cost of Fuel
• Cost of Clean/Filters
  

The cons when it comes to diesels look an awful lot like the pros sometimes.

First, the emissions.  The lower carbon dioxide emissions is a good thing, but it's not the only thing.  Unfortunately, oil burners tend to emit more soot.  Soot can cause all sorts of issues for human beings and emitting more soot is something to be avoided.

Clean diesels are much better than diesels about emissions, and in order to be sold in the US, diesels have to meet stricter guidelines as to their emissions than they used to.  Most of that comes from the filters they install in the engines.

The second con is how much oil is actually used to create a gallon of diesel vs. a gallon of gasoline.  Despite higher fuel efficiency, since the amount of oil used to create a gallon of diesel is higher, the advantage from a national perspective isn't as much as you would hope for.  Importing oil into the US is a costly and dangerous business.   Diesel beats out gasoline here, but not by as much as most people think when all they look at is the fuel efficiency of the respective vehicles.

The third con is sound.  But that's not so much of a con anymore.  No, diesels aren't as quiet as gasoline engines, but the difference isn't really noticeable (unlike 20-30 years ago).  Of course, you can't beat out the hybrid, which turns off the gasoline engine when you come to a stop.  But still, sound isn't much, if any, of a con any more.

Also, diesel fuel is not available at every gas station.  You would have to search for the locations, and you wouldn't be guaranteed an easy find if you took it on a longer trip.  This isn't much of a con, because you would just have to be a little more careful about filling up.  


The fourth con, which may be the worst one, is cost.  Diesel engines cost more to build and install (those filtering systems aren't cheap).  Diesel actually costs more than gasoline right now (it's pretty even, but still the edge goes to gasoline).  That frays some of the cost savings you would expect from higher fuel efficiency.  And, those filtering systems add to the cost to maintain.  The urea systems need to be refilled at regular intervals.


Why Not Hybrid Diesels?
Good question, if you were wondering that.  The problem with diesel hybrids comes down to cost again.  Let's say a hybrid engine cost $X thousand more than a conventional car, then the diesel engine costs $Y more than the gasoline engine.  Then a diesel hybrid costs $X+Y more than the conventional car.


You do get higher torque, better fuel economy, and a lot of other bonuses.  But selling US buyers on a hybrid electric was probably hard enough.  Selling them on a higher cost to buy a diesel-electric would have been extremely hard to do. 


But  plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) or extended range electric vehicles (E-REV) are a much better fit for diesel engines.  The higher fuel efficiency, coupled with the likelihood of long ranges of all electric power, could be a fuel efficiency maniac dream.  And the reasons for making diesel-electric engines for trains come into play when you look at E-REVs.

Add in the fact that plug-ins are going to be expensive in the first place, and the added cost of a diesel (vs a gas) engine mated to the electric motor, and the added expense isn't really all that much (percentage wise).


Conclusion
Diesels, like everything it seems, just aren't clear cut winners.  The clean diesels are a much better sell, but the cost differential may be hard to overcome.  If diesel (the fuel) prices were to come down a little, the difference in fuel efficiency would be become readily apparent to most consumers.  Without it, however, and the average consumer is going to stick with gasoline.

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