I don't often link to articles on other sites, but this editorial by Detroit News columnist John McCormick echoes my thoughts almost verbatim. It has to do with the fact that diesel prices have mysteriously started to creep upwards just as the US is about to get its first proper introduction to diesel cars.
I've always been a big fan of diesel, but I've also thought that it's going to take the introduction of a diesel-powered Honda or Toyota before Americans will take diesel cars seriously. That is about to happen -- Acura (a division of Honda) has announced their plans for a diesel-powered TSX, and we expect that Honda will introduce a diesel in one of their cars (most likely the Accord, the CR-V or the Element) shortly thereafter.
Diesel cars are bad news for the oil companies. They get fantastic fuel economy, and unlike gasoline engines, diesels can run on non-oil-based fuel (such as biodiesel) with little or no modification. (And with modification, they can run on straight vegetable oil -- in fact, Dr. Rudolph Diesel originally designed the engine to run on peanut oil.) Diesels offer a clear path away from oil dependance -- but how open will Americans be to embracing the diesel when the fuel is priced 50 cents to a buck higher than gasoline? (As it happens, even with a 25% price hike, a diesel may still save you money.) The oil companies are making excuses, but I call BS -- I think this is an attempt to head off diesel at the pass.
What's not being said is that American runs on diesel -- it powers the trucks and trains that distrubute goods across this vast country. Forget about the impact on cars that we can't even buy yet -- higher diesel prices mean higher prices for everything (including food) and harder times for millions of Americans, not in the future but right now. I agree with Mr. McCormick -- why isn't our government looking into this?
Full article: Big Oil Seems Slick as US Turns to Diesel Cars
