Mercedes continue to stick with diesel
An article entitled” Mercedes sticks with diesel for SUV offerings” by Frank A. Aukofer of the Scripps Howard News Service talks about how even though the odds are tougher, “Mercedes-Benz is still betting on diesels.” For 2009, there are three vehicles that are being offered that have the new BlueTEC diesel engine: the GL320, ML320 SUV, and the R320 crossover utility vehicle. These vehicles emit so few pollutants that they can be sold nationwide, even in California and other states that have higher clean-air requirements than the federal government. According to William Craven, the general manager of regulatory affairs for Mercedes-Benz says that “We’re a baby’s breath away from a zero-emissions vehicle in California.” That’s pretty impressive.
Mercedes has been using diesel engines since the 1930s. Diesel engines are stronger, many times last longer, and have better fuel economy than gasoline models, which is why long-distance trucks use diesel. Diesel is very popular in Europe, because gasoline costs are doubled compared to the price in the U.S.
The main problem with diesel engines are the price. It costs about $1500 more to have a new diesel engine put into one of these vehicles. Even though you get more miles to the gallon, it was determined that on average you would save anywhere between $255 and $342 a year with a diesel engine compared to a gasoline engine. That means it would take more than four years to recoup the additional cost of the diesel model. Many people that are buying the diesel engines are probably buying them for the lower emissions, better fuel economy, and stronger, longer lasting car, and really do not care too much about the additional $1500. This is especially true when you think about how much these cars cost. These models start at upwards of $45,000. What’s $1500?
I know several people who own diesel-engined cars and really like them, and are still driving them well into the 100,000 mile range. I like the idea because of the low emissions. Hopefully more vehicles will follow Mercedes and continue to work towards lower emissions.