American consumers wake up to diesels

Data compiled by R.L. Polk & Co. show that registration of diesel passenger vehicles in the U.S. - including cars, trucks and SUVs - has grown 80 percent since 2000, up from 301,000 diesel vehicles that year to 543,777 diesel registrations in 2005. For the all-important light-duty market, diesel registrations nearly doubled (95 percent growth) from 2000-2005, with 31 percent growth coming in 2005 alone. When given a choice between a gasoline or diesel engine, consumers purchased the diesel engine option almost half the time (45 percent) in 2005.





"In this era of sky-high gasoline prices, Americans are increasingly looking to diesel as a readily available solution to help alleviate their pain at the pump," said Allen Schaeffer, DTF's executive director. "Gasoline hybrid's and flexible-fueled ethanol vehicles aren't the only fuel efficient choices consumers have today."

Most analysts expect the diesel trend to continue due in part to rising fuel prices and the desire to improve U.S. vehicle efficiency. Researchers at J.D. Power and Associates predict that diesel sales will approximately triple in the next 10 years, accounting for more than 10 percent of U.S. vehicle sales by 2015 - up from 3.6 percent in 2005.

Earlier this week, President Bush proposed extending federal tax credits for the purchase of fuel-efficient clean diesel vehicles. In a speech to the Renewable Fuels Association on Tuesday, he said that part of a good plan "to confront high gasoline prices is to promote greater fuel efficiency. Clean diesel vehicles take advantage of advances in diesel technology to run on 30 percent less fuel than gasoline vehicles do"¦ so here's an idea that can get more of these vehicles on the road, and that is to have Congress make all hybrid and clean diesel vehicles sold this year eligible for federal tax credits. We want to encourage people to make wise choices when it comes to the automobiles they drive."