Clean Diesel: A New Era of Green Cars

[Dover]

Mother Earth News (Feb/Mar 2010)

The green transportation horizon is even brighter thanks to new clean diesel vehicles. Compared with a similar-sized gasoline engine, a diesel engine delivers about 30 percent better fuel economy, which also means roughly 30 percent less carbon dioxide emissions.


Whatever notions you have about diesel cars, forget them. Long gone are the days of smelly, black plumes of smoke, noisy engines, slow acceleration, and sometimes-finicky operation. Diesel technology has evolved significantly in recent years, making diesel cars a strong green transportation option.

Modern diesel powertrains are quiet, clean, smooth, reliable, powerful, durable and economical. A diesel vehicle will usually cost more than a comparable gasoline vehicle, but the diesel engine’s more robust design means that, with proper maintenance, it should last considerably longer. Plus, some clean diesel cars qualify for a federal tax credit. For more information, see 2010 Clean Diesel Cars, Trucks and SUVs ( http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploadedFiles/articles/issues/2010-02-01/2010cleandieselcars.pdf ), and visit www.fueleconomy.gov.

For generations, diesel power has been the best choice for work-intensive applications, with no other engine delivering as much stump-pulling power. What’s evolved is how the engine compresses and ignites the fuel to propel the vehicle — a change that has capitalized on diesel’s inherent advantages while virtually eliminating the traits that previously made diesel dirty.

Diesel enthusiasts now contend that a diesel car delivers fuel economy on par with that of a gasoline-electric hybrid, and also offers a better driving experience. (See Clean Diesel: Greener Than the Prius? to find out how clean diesel vehicles measure up with gasoline and hybrid vehicles in mpg, price, greenhouse gas emissions, annual fuel cost, and more.)..cont'd


http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/Clean-Diesel-Fuel-Economy.aspx

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GreenCar.Com - Audi A3 TDI is 2010 Green Car of the Year. Clean Diesel Reigns!

The quest for high fuel efficiency and lower CO2 greenhouse gas emissions is bringing an increasingly diverse array of ‘green’ cars to our highways. We’re seeing environmental performance becoming more mainstream in vehicles of all types, from entry level to luxury cars. Plus, there’s greater emphasis on advanced clean diesel, which typically offers abundant power at the ready along with greater mpg. Nowhere is this more evident than with the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which has just been named Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year®.

This is the second year in a row that a clean diesel has risen to the top in Green Car Journal’s annual award program, a remarkable showing considering the competition. This year’s stellar field of nominees also includes the Honda Insight hybrid, Mercury Milan Hybrid, and Toyota Prius, along with the clean diesel VW Golf TDI, a high fuel efficiency hatchback that runs the same 2.0-liter TDI engine that powers last year’s Green Car of the Year® winner, the VW Jetta TDI...cont'd

http://www.greencar.com/articles/audi-a3-tdi-2010-green-car-year-clean-diesel-reigns.php




Green Car Reports: The Audi A3 TDI (hatchback or 'sportback')

We like the idea of the 2009 Audi A3, a small, sporty five-door hatchback (Audi refers to it as a Sportback). It seems rather like the grownup big brother of the 2009 Volkswagen GTI, which which it shares some underpinnings.

In the States, Audi has offered the A3 since 2006 with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four or a 3.2-liter direct-injection V6. But this year the company plans to introduce the A3 TDI, the first A3 diesel and only its second US-market diesel, after the 2010 Audi Q7 TDI.

Last week, we got a chance to drive an approximation of what this car will be like. Ours was a European-spec version, so it didn't have US emissions controls or safety equipment. We suggest treating these comments as rough first impressions.

Like all diesels, the A3 TDI has gobs of torque at relatively low engine speeds. It's geared so it moves right out, and the splendid S-Tronic double-clutch automated 6-speed manual transmission offers paddle shifting or quick, smooth automatic shifts...cont'd


http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1021078_first-drive-audi-a3-tdi-clean-diesel-hatchback





HybridCars - We drove the Audi A3 like an angel and got 43.7 miles to the gallon. When we drove it like a speed demon, the mileage was a still-respectable 31.2 mpg...cont'd

http://www.hybridcars.com/vehicle/audi-a3-tdi.html