N. American consumers awaken to clean-diesel

Diesel Fuel News, April 15, 2002 by Jack Peckham

While light-duty diesel vehicles are rare in North America, a relatively small but growing number of new-vehicle buyers are starting to show some knowledge and interest in the possibility of buying new clean-diesel technology, a new J.D. Power & Associates survey shows.

In a representative sample of 5,200 car buyers, 12% said they're "very likely" and 19% said they're "somewhat likely" to buy a clean-diesel vehicle if it were available.

The survey defined "clean diesel technology" as "comparable performance of that of a gasoline engine, but the typical diesel noises vibration and pollution have been reduced to that of a gasoline engine." Most North Americans have never experienced driving any of the new European diesels that are almost indistinguishable with gasoline on noise or performance. Giant technology leaps in fuel injection, along with higher-cetane fuel, help explain Europe's diesel love affair.

Such a "clean diesel" engine/vehicle would be the U.S. EPA "Tier 2" light vehicle that could become available when ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) becomes widely available in North America in 2006, although some "higher-bin" early-year Tier 2 models could run on today's 500-ppm sulfur diesel.

While a third of survey respondents recognized value to diesel's better fuel economy, another third weren't aware of any benefit for diesels. Almost 60% said they wouldn't consider buying a "traditional" diesel engine that they associate with pollution, odor, noise and performance problems.

The lesson for automakers is that "manufacturers have to combat the negative affitudes toward diesel engines and inform consumers that clean-diesel is cleaner, quieter and more environmentally friendly than the diesels that are on the road today," J.D. Power's Thad Malesh, alternate-power specialist, said.

As would be expected, the study indicates most consumers can imagine powerful, fuel-efficient diesels in "work" vehicles such as full-size and compact pickups, but they're skeptical about seeing diesels in smaller sizes.

"For mid-size SUVs, it's not clear which technology will dominate, if either. As an automotive analyst, my intuition tells me that diesel will maybe fit better with the 'macho' power buyers, and they're a good portion of SUV buyers," Malesh told us.