Come year 2010, and auto behemoth
General Motors (GM) is likely to roll
out diesel-engine cars under the
Cadillac and Saturn brands in the
United States.
An auto industry magazine has said
that GM would thereby join Daimler,
Volkswagen, Japanese major Nissan
Motor, and Honda Motor in promising
diesel cars compliant with the
American Tier 2 bin 5 emissions
standards. GM is likely to exhibit its
new diesel engine at the Frankfurt
auto show, in September 2007, on an
e-flex Opel Vectra.
The GM e-flex machine would come with
a traditional engine that recharges a
battery pack, which provides power for
an electric motor. The company is also
expected to show case the same variant
at the Detroit auto show in January on
a Saturn, most likely the Aura sedan.
The diesel engine will power the Opel
Vectra in Europe in 2008, and the
next-generation Aura in the United
States if all goes as planned.
With the United States starting to
enforce strict regulations for harmful
nitrogen oxide and particulate matter
emissions by 2008, these companies
would begin work on their diesel cars.
The nation expects that automakers
would use clean diesel engines in
passenger cars, sport utility
vehicles, and other light-duty trucks.
It has been reported that emissions
hardware and control systems needed to
meet the standards would add another
$2,000 to $2,800 to the $1,000-$2,000
premium that already exists for
diesels over gasoline-engine cars.
Meanwhile, Toyota Motor seems to have
decided not to join the growing list.
The reason being cited is that clean
diesels would end up being more
expensive than gasoline-electric
hybrids, a segment the company
dominates.
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