What is a Fuel Efficient Diesel Car?

A fuel efficient diesel car just might be the next big thing in automobile technology. Clean diesel releases fewer CO₂ emissions into the environment than some of the best hybrids. Some fuel efficient diesel cars are so efficient they can get nearly 75 mpg (31.89 KM/L). Clean diesel addresses the odor problems, that diesel used to have, by removing nearly all of the sulfur. The reduction of sulfur is double bonus. Sulfur, released into the atmosphere, combines with water vapor to create sulfuric acid, better known as acid rain.

Fuel efficient diesel cars have another unique advantage over hybrids. They seem to last for a really long time. On average a fuel efficient diesel car, like their original cousins, will easily last a couple hundred thousand miles (321,800 km) and more. This is because a diesel engine actually gets more energy out of its fuel than a gasoline engine would. To offset this, diesel engines are built stronger and tend to have less build up because of the way it runs. The stronger engine and well lubricated cylinder walls translate into a longer life span for the car.

A fuel efficient diesel car is cleaner and greener without the nasty smell, the loud roaring engine, or the sluggish take off of their older cousins. While they won’t be replacing hybrids completely, there is a good chance they’ll be offering consumers all over the world another option. Some parts of the world are already using the fuel efficient diesel car and have been for a couple of years.

Some clean cars to look out for include the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Prius, Mercedes E320 Bluetec, and Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion. While not all cars are available in all parts of the world, car manufacturers are working to bring them to you. Currently the only fuel efficient diesel car available in the U.S. is the Mercedes E320. Car manufacturers hope to be able to offer more options sometime during or after 2010.

The Ford Fiesta isn’t a fuel efficient diesel car, but it was a huge hit in Switzerland in 2008. It’s considered one of the top five cleanest engines and its small size saves money at the pump. Ford is talking about bring the Fiesta back to the U.S. sometime in late 2009. The U.K. should be seeing more options in their choices soon. Europe and Japan are already seeing some of the best of these cars.