Posted on 05/17/2004 1:19:13 PM PDT by B Knotts
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co.'s development efforts for a diesel Ford Focus for North America are on the back burner.
New COO Jim Padilla says the business case for diesel-powered small cars doesn't work. Diesel engines are costly because they have high-pressure fuel systems and need exhaust equipment required to meet pending U.S. emissions regulations.
"Do you think you can float that on the back of a C car (Focus-sized) in North America?" Padilla said. "The cost is just too high."
Ford has toyed with bringing a diesel Focus to the United States for several years. Last year President Nick Scheele said the automaker needs to introduce a diesel Focus for U.S. sale, even if the volume is small. Such a move would be akin to DaimlerChrysler AG's test of diesel acceptance with the introduction of a diesel-powered Jeep Liberty SUV this year.
(Excerpt) Read more at autoweek.com ...
So build them for "Canada and Mexico" and let buyers smuggle them across the border.
To which are you referring. The diesel Focus or the shelving of it?
IMHO - What Mercedes needs to do is to bring the A-Class diesels into the US market ... 55-60 mpg and not a Jeep SUV.
The shelving thereof.
looks like MB is coming to the US with the B class, a stretched A class. you can get an E320CDI in 45 states now, 35MPG. European diesels will be big in the US when the clean fuel diesel in 2007 comes online.
Today's diesels are much cleaner and more powerful.
The low sulfur diesel is already available in a lot of the U.S., including Oregon (I saw it at the Troutdale Tesoro).
???
"Today's diesels are much cleaner and more powerful."
They sure are. They're still noisy when cold, though. My guess is that Ford doesn't think it's worth spending the money to quiet down the interior of the Focus for the diesel.
Their whines about the cost of the engine, though, are bogus. High-pressure fuel system, indeed. There's already one in the gas Focus.
No kidding. I would love a Diesel Liberty, or better yet, a diesel 1/2 ton pickup. But for commuting, the Focus would have been nifty.
Seems the only way to shoot all of Michael Moore is to use a camera with one of those Fat-Ass lenses!
"The shelving thereof."
What would you be willing to pay for a deisel Focus? Would you be willing to drive to fueling stations near highways instead of your convenient corner station?
I'm thinking of going with the new VW Passat TDI.
You should recheck the details on that. Fuel is injected to a spark-ignition cycle during the intake stroke of the piston, and the typical "high-pressure" used to provide a good atomized fuel is under 100 PSIG. On the other hand, diesel fuel is injected to a cylinder under compression, when the compressed air therin is hot enough to auto-ignite the fuel. Fuel pressures are typically over 1,000 PSIG.
Exhaust products are different too. Diesel exhaust requires different hardware for cleaning, than does spark-ignition exhaust.
I was literally going to walk into the VW dealer and buy a diesel Passat wagon last week. Found out it's no-go in Massachusetts. Stupid! I hope they get this straightened out. I want to get a diesel Bug for my daughter.
"He's gonna blow!"
He shoulda never eaten that meal gum at Wonka's...
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