Mexican Media Brands
U.S. Diesel Vehicle Sales Up 14%
The number of registered diesel passenger vehicles on American roads rose to 7.4 million last year from 6.5 million in 2013, says the Diesel Technology Forum, which cites data from IHS Automotive.
Share
The number of registered diesel passenger vehicles on American roads rose to 7.4 million last year from 6.5 million in 2013, says the Diesel Technology Forum, which cites data from IHS Automotive.
That 14% increase is eight times the pace of the market's overall growth in 2014. The trade group credits the jump to the ability of diesels to hike fuel economy 20%-40% and lower carbon dioxide emissions 10%-20%.
Since 2010, U.S. diesel car and SUV registrations have zoomed 48% compared with a 6% increase in the overall car and SUV market. Still, the entire diesel fleet of cars and light trucks represents only about 3% of the 254 million passenger vehicles currently in use, according to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation.
The states with the fastest growth of diesel vehicle registrations last year were California (24%), Massachusetts (21%) and Nevada (18%).
Ironically, the uptick in diesel sales in the U.S. comes as environmentalists in Europe are pushing for a significant cutback in such engines. Paris has proposed an outright ban on diesels in the city by 2020.
More than half of passenger vehicles in Europe are diesel-powered today. Opponents say the engines are a dangerous source of oxides of nitrogen, a corrosive gas linked to respiratory ailments. Diesel backers insist modern "clean diesels" are no threat to human health.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Jeeps Modified for Moab
On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.
-
Robotic Exoskeleton Amplifies Human Strength
The Sarcos Guardian XO Max full-body, all-electric exoskeleton features strength amplification of up to 20 to 1, making 200 pounds—the suit’s upper limit—feel like 10 pounds for the user.
-
On Automotive: An All Electric Edition
A look at electric vehicle-related developments, from new products to recycling old batteries.
