Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's odd that these vehicles make up a large portion of sales in Europe that is supposedly far more environmentally aware than the U.S.
Answer to this mystery.
Europe has invested in a modern fuel delivery pipeline and refining system that doesn't exist in the USA. Hence the diesel fuel in Europe is much cleaner than the sludge they sell here in the USA. Our pipelines and refineries are antiquated and suffer from lack of investment despite the fact that the oil companies have huge profits.
Because of the dirty fuel in the USA, in order to meet USA air standards, diesel cars in the USA have to have a large amount of emissions crap bolted on that isn't required in Europe.
(And it doesn't help that the idiots in Washington DC continue to push hybrid technology even though the end result is a hugely complicated vehicle that in many cases doesn't match the real world mileage of a simple diesel.)
Europe has invested in a modern fuel delivery pipeline and refining system that doesn't exist in the USA. Hence the diesel fuel in Europe is much cleaner than the sludge they sell here in the USA. Our pipelines and refineries are antiquated and suffer from lack of investment despite the fact that the oil companies have huge profits.
Uh; many people have said European cars fall apart real fast. Otherwise they'd rule and Americans would NOT even look at the Japanese and Korean cars twice. Didn't VW almost stop selling in the US a few years back? Word was they went off the rails once the 1st Beetle went away about 40 years ago.
Responses to your points:
I'd say that cars produced in Germany are higher quality than that in the USA though Ford is probably at parity. GM is catching up. Cars from other European countries tend to have more issues. In that light, Chrysler is now essentially Fiat which is noteworthy for producing troublesome cars.
Many Americans don't care for the blandtastic cars produced by the Asians. But they are far less expensive than those sold by the Europeans which is why they sell. It should be noted that the Asians have created versions of their vehicles only for sell in the USA that are built to lower build levels than what they sell elsewhere.
VW has always sold vehicles in the USA since the days when they started importing the Beetle. You are probably confused by the closing of their Rabbit production plant which was constructed in Westmoreland, Pa in the 1970s.
VW has suffered from quality problems on and off in their history. In the late 70s however it was their "Americanized" version of their Rabbit that hurt the reputation a great deal.
This issue goes back years/decades when they were not close at. In the context of what was responded to, why does the EU have a lot of diesels, this is the reason why. Furthermore there are still many diesel engines produce in Europe which they won't sell in the USA for this very reason.
This issue goes back years/decades when they were not close at.
It's been almost 10 years and the low sulfur fuel was implemented in Europe and the US almost at same time.
Doing a little research the issue apparently is NOX emissions, some of the emissions limits in Europe are stricter however in the US this is what is tripping them up because it's stricter and the testing is more realistic.
Going back to last year and this is about European car testing:
‘What the real-world testing shows is that Euro 6 cars are no better than previous standards in terms of pollution. London and other cities considering a diesel charge should not exempt any diesel cars, including Euro 6 vehicles,’ said Greg Archer of T&E. ‘City-centre charges and fuel and vehicle taxes should reflect the pollution that cars actually emit on the road.’
Part of the reason for the huge difference between a car’s performance in the real world and in a type approval test is that these tests are obsolete. Carmakers are able to circumvent the rules by programming the test car to recognise when it is being driven on the cycle and produce lower emissions.
I'd say that cars produced in Germany are higher quality than that in the USA though Ford is probably at parity. GM is catching up. Cars from other European countries tend to have more issues. In that light, Chrysler is now essentially Fiat which is noteworthy for producing troublesome cars.
Many Americans don't care for the blandtastic cars produced by the Asians. But they are far less expensive than those sold by the Europeans which is why they sell. It should be noted that the Asians have created versions of their vehicles only for sell in the USA that are built to lower build levels than what they sell elsewhere.
VW has always sold vehicles in the USA since the days when they started importing the Beetle. You are probably confused by the closing of their Rabbit production plant which was constructed in Westmoreland, Pa in the 1970s.
VW has suffered from quality problems on and off in their history. In the late 70s however it was their "Americanized" version of their Rabbit that hurt the reputation a great deal.
Maybe when European cars are "new"; they're better, I don't know. Tho when they get a few years on them, most brands start falling apart. Many people have told me to NEVER buy a used car from a German maker. Some Americans cars are Ok and, most Asians are now quite good.
"We speed up some more, and the fuel consumption registers 1.2 liters per hundred kilometers on a screen on the dashboard. That’s not quite 300 miles per gallon, but it’s still a lot. Test drivers comment on the sound of the diesel engine."
Because of the dirty fuel in the USA, in order to meet USA air standards, diesel cars in the USA have to have a large amount of emissions crap bolted on that isn't required in Europe.
A decade ago that was true, but Ultra Low Sulfur diesel has been mandated here since 2006. It's no longer a fuel quality issue, it's simply a matter of our EPA have a more stringent standard for certain tailpipe emissions than Europe.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
