A diesel Honda that gets 62.8 miles a gallon?

[er1c]

- Would you drive this?

Feast your eyes on this, car technology and high-mileage nuts. It's a Honda Accord that runs on diesel.

Honda expects to bring the clean-diesel car to the U.S. by 2010. It gets 62.8 miles a gallon on the highway, but otherwise looks and feels like a regular Accord. At that mileage level, the car is about as "clean" as a new Toyota Prius. But if you run it on biodiesel, a form of diesel made from vegetable oil or animal fat, it would be even cleaner than a Prius (Priuses get 60 in the city).

The advantage of diesel cars, however, is that they pack a lot of power.

(Credit: Courtesy Diesel Technology Forum)

The car was shown off with a number of other cars in Sacramento, Calif., earlier this month as a way to promote clean diesel cars and technology. In the '90s, California passed strict emission controls that restricted the amount of sulfur a car could emit. As a result, diesel manufacturers curbed sales to California and the U.S. in general.

Since then, petroleum manufacturers have devised cleaner diesels that only emit about 15 parts per million of diesel, down from hundreds of parts per million. That satisfies the California law. Manufacturers, meanwhile, have come out with more efficient and powerful diesel engines that get 20 to 40 percent better mileage than their older cars.

"A lot of changes have taken place in the engine, all thanks to electronics," said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, which helped organize the Clean Diesel Technology Tour. (Cars from Audi and a tractor trailer rig from Caterpillar were also shown). "Half the cars in Europe are diesel."

[stubbyda91]

...looks like a tsx to me

[Doppelgänger]

Diesels that get 70+mpg have been around in Eurpoe for a long time. I love how US market mfgs. act like this is something new and amazing. Lame of them to do.

[Homer Simpson]

...looks like a tsx to me

tsx here, honda accord everywhere else

[er1c]

...agree...think the U.S. is usually behind the 8-ball...

[thepolecat]

QUESTION- granted it has all the Honda badging and is an Accord Euro (Acura TSX here) but man if the 2 vehicles in the background dont look like American POSs

Is that picture of somewhere in the states?

[Atlblkz06]

18 month old news...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007...a_bringing.php

[ATLGt]

The problem with diesels over here is that they have to inject extra fuel into the exhaust stream to lower the NOx output due to Cali. regulations. BMW has a diesel in the 1 series that was named the World Green Car of the Year. Are they bringing it over? No, due to California regulations and the four other states that follow them. Way to screw us all California.

[CHADbee]

QUESTION- granted it has all the Honda badging and is an Accord Euro (Acura TSX here) but man if the 2 vehicles in the background dont look like American POSs

Is that picture of somewhere in the states?

the van says "serving northern cali"

[Alan®]

Diesels that get 70+mpg have been around in Eurpoe for a long time. I love how US market mfgs. act like this is something new and amazing. Lame of them to do.

THANK YOU

[thepolecat]

the van says "serving northern cali"

good call. grass-e-ass

[steedracer]

The car was shown off with a number of other cars in Sacramento, Calif., earlier this month as a way to promote clean diesel cars and technology. In the '90s, California passed strict emission controls that restricted the amount of sulfur a car could emit. As a result, diesel manufacturers curbed sales to California and the U.S. in general.


read the post yes it is in the US. Sacramento, Calif

[ATLGt]

Sulfur wasn't the fault of the diesel cars, it was the fault of our (U.S.) old fuel standard on diesel fuels. Now with low sulfur fuels, you can run cats like most of the cars over in EU and pass EPA emissions. The problem is is that NOx regulations in Cali are very high, so most have to inject more fuel on the exhaust stroke to burn off the extra O2 left. This is why we will never see the same numbers as EU diesels. I would not be surprised if this does get released here, it will have lower actual MPG rating (I say actual because EPA has changed their rating style which is why VW had an independent lab redo their mpg rating on their new diesels). They do have NOx regulations in EU, but they are mostly on larger vehicles and most of those get rid of the NOx by injecting ammonia in the down pipe.

[Atlblkz06]

Sulfur wasn't the fault of the diesel cars, it was the fault of our (U.S.) old fuel standard on diesel fuels. Now with low sulfur fuels, you can run cats like most of the cars over in EU and pass EPA emissions. The problem is is that NOx regulations in Cali are very high, so most have to inject more fuel on the exhaust stroke to burn off the extra O2 left. This is why we will never see the same numbers as EU diesels. I would not be surprised if this does get released here, it will have lower actual MPG rating (I say actual because EPA has changed their rating style which is why VW had an independent lab redo their mpg rating on their new diesels). They do have NOx regulations in EU, but they are mostly on larger vehicles and most of those get rid of the NOx by injecting ammonia in the down pipe.

That is correct. We had the 3'rd DIRTIEST diesel in the world pre-2008.

And now, most clean diesel engines in the US have Diesel Particulate Filters that accumulate diesel soot and in "regeneration mode" - use extra fuel to burn off the particulates. Of course this also reduces the net mileage.

Not to mention - our cars are generall bigger than the european counterparts. When the same high-mileage cars are sold here, the public bitches and moans at how the cars are small.

Americans - you just cant make them happy.

[4dmin]

vw launched a diesel + electric that does over 70+ mpg that is coming to the US

[Atlblkz06]

vw launched a diesel + electric that does over 70+ mpg that is coming to the US

I'm looking forward to true diesoelectric hybrids (like trains).

With a small 1.x liter I3 diesel generating power, a few high voltage capacitors and a medium sized battery - you can actually have a PZEV 100mpg car that's also fairly fast (tons of torque from a start). The car would be fairly light because the transmission can be eliminated and the weight can be distributed evenly since engine placement would be independent of FWD/RWD/AWD.

AWD can be easily achieved with 4 small electric motors without using any energy-sapping transfer cases, clutches or shafts. Should be interesting.

[G.C]

I'm looking forward to true diesoelectric hybrids (like trains).

With a small 1.x liter I3 diesel generating power, a few high voltage capacitors and a medium sized battery - you can actually have a PZEV 100mpg car thats also fairly fast (tons of torque from a start). The car would be fairly light because the transmission can be eliminated and the weight can be distributed evenly since engine placement would be independant of FWD/RWD/AWD.

AWD can be easily achieved with 4 small electric motors without using any energy-sapping transfer cases, clutches or shafts. Should be interesting.

That would be pretty cool.

[VooDooXII]

Low revs and high torque...that's an affront to Honda fans.

[Atlblkz06]

Low revs and high torque...that's an affront to Honda fans.

Yea they're gonna start killing themselves when the hybrid/diesels hit the street because they're so used to high rpms, low torque, and low hp

[Frög]

Diesels that get 70+mpg have been around in Eurpoe for a long time. I love how US market mfgs. act like this is something new and amazing. Lame of them to do.

yup! the diesel jetta's here in the states do 70+MPG..

American noobs..