This Is Why We Can't Have Diesels
Why don’t more mass-market brands offer diesel engine options? After all, the evidence suggests that the passenger cars that offer diesel options enjoy a healthy take rate for oil-burner engines. So would a brand like Ford ever consider bringing diesels to its US offerings? According to the Blue Oval’s Product Boss Derrick Kuzak, the answer is absolutely not. And, according to Automotive News [sub] he’s got an interesting reason for nixing a US-market diesel option.
With rising petroleum prices, one European journalist asked if Ford planned to alter its powertrain strategy and sell cars with diesel engines in the United States. The journalist mentioned that some European automakers offer diesels in the United States.
Kuzak said Ford “could easily bring diesels to the U. S. market.”
Then he quickly added: U.S. “customers, I think, are pragmatic.”
Too pragmatic for improved efficiency? Huh?
Kuzak continues:
With diesel engines more expensive than gasoline powerplants, and diesel fuel more costly than gasoline in the United States, the payback time for a U.S. driver, he said, would be 10 years.
“It doesn’t make sense. We are not going to force it on customers,” he said, adding that an EcoBoost engine comes close to matching the efficiency of a diesel.
Unlike the luxury brands, Kuzak said Ford’s fuel economy strategy “is driven by affordability.”
And yet Ford offers its fair share of hybrids… and how long does it take to pay off that premium? After all, National Research Council studies show the cost of upgrading from a gas four-cylinder to an advanced diesel or power-split hybrid are almost identical… and I know which I’d rather drive. So are Kuzak and Ford scared of the marketing challenge of bringing back advanced diesels, or do they really believe that their hybrid strategy good enough to not need some diesel diversification?
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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I bought a 2010 VW Golf TDI last May,before the federal tax credit expired - so that's $1300 back in my pocket. Besides that, if you go strictly by EPA numbers, the "real world" mileage results are much higher than stated. I average consistently in the low 40's, approx. 525 miles from a 15 gallon tank, and never dip below 35mpg in city driving. On the contrary, both Hybrid and Gasoline MPG numbers are usually a bit lower, sometimes disappointingly so, that what is reflected in the EPA numbers. I may be paying 30 cents more per gallon for diesel, but dollar-for-dollar, I'm still WAY ahead of most other gasoline cars. Otherwise, it's not just about the fuel economy, but the driving dynamics of the whole car - 236 ft./lbs of torque with a 6-speed manual, superb ride and handling, a high level of refinement, and the versatility of a hatchback. Try and find all those characteristics in one vehicle - they are few and far between. For me, I can't ask for much more value in a vehicle. A slight sticker price premium? Yes, but a great value nonetheless. Let's compare apples to apples here.
I think that all of the criticisms of the complexity and engineering expertise/ expense needed to make a modern clean diesel explains exactly why there will never be a FORD diesel sold in the US.