Satisfying torquers and fuelers

Automotive Design & Production, Sept, 2004

While the U.S. automotive industry continues to debate the wisdom of increasing the small number of diesel-powered vehicles it produces, big truck buyers are signing up for diesels at an increasing rate. Doug Scott, Ford Div. Truck Group marketing manager, says that over 70% of the first 50,000 orders for the new 2005 F-Series Super Duty trucks are for those equipped with the 6.0-liter V8 Power Stroke diesel engine built by International Truck and Engine Corp. That's up from about 60% for the 2004 model. Who's fueling the rise? In a word, "torquers"--people who buy their trucks largely for personal use, but who are willing to pay a steep premium for the extra torque diesels generate. "The personal use market has doubled in the last 10 years," says Scott, who estimates that 45% of Super Duty models go to people who are towing boats and campers, not work trailers. And those buyers are opting for diesels because, in Scott's succinct words, "Their toys have gotten bigger." Which might lead you to believe that there is a burgeoning market for diesel-powered trucks in the smaller half-ton class that includes the F-150. Not so, cautions Scott, because the half-ton customer landscape is populated by "fuelers"--buyers more interested in fuel economy than torque, and who are loathe to pay an extra $5000 for a diesel. Of course, since better fuel economy is one of the virtues of diesel, there's an opportunity to fit a smaller, cheaper V6 in those vehicles. "We're working on evaluating diesel for half-ton trucks," explains Scott, but goes on to say, "Currently the costs of manufacturing a V6 diesel and a V8 are about the same." Which means that fuelers will probably not be offered a low-cost diesel option any time soon.--KEW

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]