Special Report: Alternative Fuels – Diesel Vehicle Growth in the U.S.
According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, there are now more than 4.8 million diesel cars, pickups and SUVs registered in the United States. Most analysts expect continued growth in the diesel market. Researchers at J.D. Power and Associates predict that diesel sales will approximately triple in the next 10 years, accounting for more than 10 percent of U.S. vehicle sales by 2015 – up from 3.6 percent in 2005. Fueling this rapid growth is the fact that diesel vehicles are now much cleaner and incredibly fuel efficient, typically getting 20 to 40 percent more miles to the gallon than a comparable gasoline engine. So far in 2008, 12 auto manufacturers have announced or introduced at least 13 diesel models to the U.S. market and unveiled four concept cars with a diesel powertrain. Thus, the growing resurgence of clean diesel technology in the U.S., coupled with the additional environmental and economic benefits of biodiesel, are giving American consumers more options to “drive green.”
