I've often wondered why small diesel engines aren't more of a thing here in the states. My brother had a golf diesel that got 40+ MPGs in the 90s. Combine that with biodiesel and it seems like a great solution.
Because the particulate emission requirements means that it requires a lot of expensive ancillary equipment to make them suitably clean enough for modern standards. (Unless you cheat like VW, but see how that worked out in the end) Also repairing those parts and feeding it DEF end up being pricey in the long run, too. So your cheap diesel car is no longer so cheap when you can more easily just make it a hybrid without all of the diesel market baggage.
This is true....mostly. the other is the actual demand of the diesel. Is it enough to warrant the extra up front cost. Also the conspiracy theory....Diesels last too damn long which means less new car sales
Diesels have a poor reputation regarding emissions, its more expensive per gallon (People are bad at doing miles per dollar math), and there's been some pretty recent scandals regarding diesel emissions.
It is only more expensive if you do not plan to keep it. In the long run Diesels are much cheaper. High upfront and low back end vs low up front and high back end
It seems like if they can make it work in the EU, they should be able to make it work here. But that probably my ignorant bliss speaking.
OR.... Something happened with the new in house electric motor/eCVT transmission... Notice how the posts from the transmission insider stopped at 139/week?
That's because it's not accelerated at all. For whatever reason, is not working. I bet the transmission that's delivered is not the same as the pre production models. They're going to go back to out sourcing the motors because the in house model failed to meet standards somehow (too expensive or just blew up.)
