Photo by Kevindooley. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.

If your child rides the bus to school in New York City, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) would like you to know that he or she is being exposed to "harmful pollution levels" during the daily ride. The EDF issued a report yesterday that calls on the NYC Department of Education to cut diesel soot pollution by 90 percent and suggests using diesel retrofit technologies to do so. On top of that, EDF recommends retiring the buses three years sooner than is now standard. And, if the Department does so, EDF says, it "could be using the largest, cleanest school bus fleet in the country within just a few years." It certainly will take a while to do so, because there are more than 7,000 public school buses in the city. A few other options from the ABG archives:

• Plug-in hybrid school bus
• Biofuel-powered school bus
• Using a diesel particulate filter

[Source: Environmental Defense Fund]

If you happen to live in Japan, your choices for buying a diesel car are quite meager. Until a new model goes on sale on September 18, there is only one diesel car available: the Mercedes E320 CDI. The model in question is a Nissan X-Trail GT20, codenamed M9R, which gets a Renault-derived 2.0-liter dCi diesel engine, which was announced last year and was used for the G8 summit last June. This engine gets 30 percent better mileage than the standard 2.5-liter gasoline version while offering the same power and torque as the 3.5-liter V6. The powertrain is also fully compliant with Japan's new anti-pollution legislation which becomes mandatory in October 2009. As with most other new diesels, the M9R uses a high pressure (1,600 bar) common rail injection system with piezo-electric injectors. The exhaust after-treatment system consists of a lean NOx trap and diesel particulate filter. Volkswagen, Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru expect to have diesel vehicles available next year as well.

[Source: Le Blog Auto]

One of the keys to making modern diesel engines so powerful and low in emissions has been high pressure common rail fuel injection systems. Vince Piacenti is a senior manager for common rail fuel systems at Bosch. The supplier has put up some vids on YouTube that discuss diesel technology, and Piacenti describes some of the development tools his team uses. Creating injectors that can precisely meter fuel at nearly 30,000 psi and last for the life of the engine is no trivial matter.

In order to get the new exhaust after-treatment systems to work, the injection system has to be able to quickly adjust the fuel flow to manage the regeneration of the diesel particulate filter. The ability to execute up to seven fuel pulses per power cycle helps to spread the expansion pressure, and combustion temperature. This makes operation quieter and smoother while reducing NOx production. Check out the video of Vince's lab tour after the jump.

[Source: YouTube, Bosch]

In the wake of a new lithium ion battery joint venture, Bernd Bohr, CEO of Bosch is not concerned that automakers will try to keep battery production in house. In an interview with German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Bohr was asked about the fact that several automakers including Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan are involved in their own joint ventures for lithium batteries. Bosch is investing $300-400 million in a venture with Samsung to produce automotive lithium batteries. Bohr feels it will take 10-15 years for lithium batteries to become dominant so the company still has the opportunity to come to the forefront of the technology and play a leading role. While the Samsung will start with Korean production Bohr intends to eventually expand to other locations as well. By the time lithium batteries become mainstream in electric vehicles, Bohr expects the energy density to increase by a factor of 3-5 times. With Bosch's experience in power tools and appliances the company already has plenty of in-house motor technology that they are now applying to hybrid and electric drive systems. By 2015 Bohr expects hybrids to account for about 2.5-3 million vehicles annually with another 800,000 battery electrics.

Before electrics take over the world though, Bohr expects diesel engines to pick up another five points of market share taking 28 percent of the global market by mid-decade. In spite of elevated diesel prices right now, Bohr believes that diesel will be the only way to meet coming CO2 emissions standards and taxes in the near to mid-term. According to Bohr investments are being made to increase diesel refining capacity that will alleviate the price pressures by 2010. Bohr mentioned that HCCI engines could appear in production before 2015 which will also help reduce consumption and emissions. Bosch is also focusing on large volumes of the most cost-effective methods such as auto start-stop systems which are expected to be on 50 percent of European cars by 2012.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport]

Ford has everything ready to start selling the new Fiesta in Europe next Fall. Prices start at €11,700 for gasoline variants, and €13,700 for diesels (prices shown are for the French market). If you want 5 doors instead of 3, you have to add €500 to the sticker price. Six different trims(Ambiente, Trend, ECOnetic, Ghia, Titanium and Sport, or Zetec S in the UK) and six powerplants (4 gasoline and 2 diesel) will be available.

All gasoline engines produce CO₂ under 140 g/km and start with two 1.25L options, with 60 or 82 hp. An available 1.4L is good for 96 hp. All three have emissions ratings under 135 g/km. The sportiest version has a brand new 1.6L four-cylinder rated at 118 hp that achieves 41.6 mpg (US), while keeping CO₂ emissions at 139 g/km. Regarding diesels, there's a 1.4L good for 68 hp as well as a 1.6L with 90 hp, producing CO₂ under 110 g/km. The ECOnetic version further improves the car's consumption level to 62.5 mpg (U.S.) and boasts CO₂ emissions of 98 g/km.


[Source: Autoplus]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Concept-cX

Mitsubishi wanted the world to see that it had plenty of green intentions at least year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Thankfully, those hopes and dreams appear to be turning into reality, as the Concept-cX crossover has now been approved for production. As was initially shown in the concept vehicle, a brand-spankin' new 1.8 liter clean turbodiesel engine will make its debut in the new crossover. From there the power will be sent through a dual clutch SST transmission and the all-wheel-drive system lifted from the latest Lancer Evolution. Of course, to meet the future Euro-V emissions regulations, a diesel particulate filter is fitted to clean up the exhaust stream.
The new cX should fit well into Mitsubishi's product portfolio, right under the current Outlander in both size and price. We can't say for certain, but considering that the two vehicles share a platform, we can reasonably expect to see this same drivetrain mounted in the even friendlier Lancer platform in the future. We can only hope that the cX and its diesel engine will make its way stateside.

[Source: Car Central]

While many automakers are getting a bit bullish about diesel cars in America (see Mercedes, Nissan and VW), a board member of parts supplier Continental AG told Handelsblatt (via Thompson Financial) that an overall downturn in diesel interest in the U.S. means his company is looking more toward electric cars than diesel-powered ones. Board member Karl-Heinz Neumann said, "Regarding diesel fuel, I'm more sceptical by now. There's not much happening in the U.S. The opportunities of the electrical car have surprised all of us."

Neumann's stance is bolstered by Ford's recent decline in diesel truck sales and, more importantly, by a recent Conti study that showed high consumer interest in zero-emission vehicles. Making the shift to EV support is not a problem for the supplier, because Conti is well into setting up advanced battery deals with some automakers. The lithium-ion battery in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid will be from Continental and then there's that whole Chevy Volt thing.

[Source: Thompson Financial]

Considering how costly diesel fuel has become, there's literally no good reason to let any go to waste, right? That being the case, we were happy to see the conservation efforts of one man in the San Francisco Bay area, who has just placed eleven gallons of diesel fuel for a reduced rate on Craigslist.org. Why? Well, when his older diesel-powered Suburban's tranny went south, he had fuel left over in a few containers he kept in the back. Since he won't be driving that vehicle any longer, he has no need for the oily stuff. Why not let it go for a little extra cash? So, if anybody near South San Jose has a need for some discounted diesel fuel, check out the original ad here. Tell him AutoblogGreen sent you... just kidding. Thanks for the top, Soo!

[Source: Craigslist.org]

Want to go farther on each tank of diesel? Who doesn't, these days? One way to eke out a bit more distance between fill-ups is to driver more economically. Another, according to Paramount Performance of Slough in the UK, is to get "one of the simple 'plug and play' diesel economy units" sold by Paramount. By remapping the engine control unit (or ECU), Paramount claims fuel economy improvements of up to 16 percent. The turbo diesel kits cost between £299 to £350, plus VAT.

The press release pasted after the break makes it all sound so simple. take this line:

Paramount's 'plug and play' economy units can be purchased by mail order and fitted in minutes by the owner.

Man, how much easier could it be? Well, perhaps by providing some testimonials. Anyone out there tried a Paramount ECU remapper yet?

[Source: Paramount Performance]

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UPDATE: Looks like I rushed this post this morning (read the reader comments below). Apologies.

Not 100 percent sure what we're looking at here, but our old friend Mike sent us this picture of a diesel-powered tractor having a bit of engine trouble during a tractor pull last weekend in the Netherlands. He believes this explosion has all the hallmarks of a nitrous blast, as in the diesel motor got too much nitrous in it. It might be propane, but he's pretty sure it's nitrous. There is a video of the fire at Tractorpulling.nl. Find "filmpjes" under the multimedia section on the left and then click on the video that says "European Maid." Or just click past the jump to see a video from YouTube. As you can see, the driver walks away, so I'll assume there were no injuries. The ex-tractor here was called the European Maid, by the way. If you like images of the blast, click here for more.

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A diesel-engined Jeep Patriot can go through six countries under the right circumstances. Jeep would like to remind you that even if you're not going on a lengthy journey, you can still enjoy the 35mpg (U.S.) vehicle. Why? Well, it's apparently "a bling thing" (as you can see in the press release after the jump).

Jeep hopes people considering buying the Patriot are going to be swayed by a few visual upgrades: things like a Startech chrome grille, a bodykit, sports suspension, or 20-inch alloys. Interior changes available are chrome loudspeaker rings, a leather gear knob or leather armrest. If you care more about what's under the hood, Jeep also offers enhancements to the diesel engine. Unfortunately, the enhancement bumps up the horsepower instead of fuel economy. The engine upgrade is called the PowerXtra Performance Module and it gives the 2.0-litre diesel engine an extra 40bhp for £999. Prices for the bling are available beyond the break.

Nobody could ever accuse Hyundai of not thinking big. The Korean carmaker has grown into the fourth largest volume import brand in the U.S. market and is now on the verge of launching into the luxury and high-performance segments. So far, aside from some concepts and relatively efficient small cars, they haven't made any big waves in the green tech area, at least in the U.S. In an interview with Britain's AutoCar print edition, CEO Dr. Kim Dong-Jin made it clear the company is targeting the big dogs like Toyota in the coming decade. Hyundai has been running test fleets of hybrids in Korea, as well as fuel cell vehicles in both Korea and the U.S. Dr. Kim claims that Hyundai's products will be more advanced than the Prius. The question is will they be more advanced than today's Prius or the third-gen model that's coming next year? Hyundai is developing a lot of technology in-house, including fuel cells, hybrids and diesels that are already offered overseas and coming to the U.S. as soon as 2010. Hybrids are due to arrive at about the same time with limited numbers of fuel cell vehicles hitting the market a year after that.

[Source: AutoCar, via Winding Road]

click above image for high-res gallery of the BMW 335i Convertible

Germany's Centre Automotive Research (CAR) at the college of Gelsenkirchen has commissioned a new study which seems to indicate the the market share for diesel vehicles in Germany has peaked. There are many reasons highlighted in the study, not the least of which is the rising cost of diesel fuel in Europe. Also under scrutiny is the shrinking efficiency difference between the average diesel vehicle and some of the newest high-tech gasoline powered cars and hybrids. Technology trends such as BMW's recent twin-turbocharging, as featured in popular models like the 335i (seen above), and Volkswagen's Twincharger system are narrowing the gap between gas and diesel power and mileage.

Also cited as a potential snag for diesel car owners is the resale value for diesel vehicles. Apparently, the cost increase association with the purchase of a new diesel vehicle doesn't translate into higher resale value. For these reasons and a few others, the CAR study, led by Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, forecasts a market share decrease of eight percent for diesel vehicles over the next decade or so. Could the U.S. actually make headway when it comes to the diesel disparity between it and Europe?

[Source: Just-Auto]

Volkswagen is undoubtedly a big proponent of diesel engines, having introduced them to the U.S. market in the late 1970s and then continuing to offer them here on and off since then. The next big push starts this summer with the new Jetta TDI followed at the end of the year by the new Touareg TDI. Most manufacturers and analysts have been projecting that diesels would eventually capture about 10-15 percent of the U.S. market over the next decade. Volkswagen, however, is being significantly more bullish, at least with respect to their own lineup.

At the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin, Italy VW director of powertrain research projected that over the next ten years diesel would account for 30 percent of the company's U.S. sales. This projection is actually not much of a stretch for VW. Historically when VW has offered diesels in the US, they have accounted for 15 percent of sales. The Jetta is VW's top selling nameplate in the U.S. and the TDI is projected to account for about 40 percent of those sales. As more diesels are added in the coming years, doubling the market share to 30 percent seems entirely plausible.

[Source: Autoweek]

General Motors' down under crew at Holden have been busy of late creating the Zeta platform that underpins most of the company's lineup of coming rear wheel drive cars. Holden has its own tuning division known as Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) that produces the really high performance variants of the Holden vehicles. HSV is facing the same realities as high performance groups like Mercedes' AMG and Audi's Quattro GmbH. They know that they will have start migrating to more efficient powertrains, and GM has a variety of elements in the parts bin to work with. Currently, HSV uses the classic small-block V8 as the heart of their vehicles but they are now looking at alternatives, with an eye toward attracting younger buyers.

With greater efficiency in mind, HSV is considering some of the diesel and hybrid technologies that GM has now or will have in the next couple of years. One obvious choice would be the new Duramax 4.5L diesel V8 that GM will launch in its light duty trucks next year. The engine was specifically designed to fit with the packaging envelope of the small-block meaning it will fit into the Zeta vehicles. At the Chicago Auto Show, GM showed the Denali XT concept which was a 4 door pickup truck built on the Zeta platform using the Two-Mode hybrid system. Other possibilities are the upcoming 2nd generation mild hybrid system set to debut in 2010 and the 2.9L diesel V6 that will debut in Europe next year. GM already has the direct injected and turbocharged 2.0L EcoTec in several vehicles as well as the direct injected 3.6L V6. Plenty of options abound for performance with drastically reduced emissions and fuel consumption. It will be interesting to watch what direction, HSV, AMG and others take in the coming years.

[Source: Drive.com.au]