BMW won’t offer cars equipped with diesel engines in the United States until 2008, says U.S. CEO Tom Purves. According to DieselForecast, tough emissions standards in California are largely to blame. “It will be about two years until we offer a car in the U.S.,” he said. “We will not do it until we can offer the car in 50 states. Right now we have to meet emissions, and we are still working on selective catalytic reduction. We’re also waiting to see what the EPA does.” Purves stressed BMW would like to see the cars on sale in the ‘States as soon as possible. “The performance is fantastic,â€? he says. Meanwhile, Volvo spokesman Roger Ormisher said his company will have to wait until others, like BMW, pave the way. “We’re too small to go first,â€? he said. “You really have to force you way into the marketplace when you’re a one-percent brand. Somebody else needs to go first [with a 50-state car].”
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05/22, 7:13 PM
posted by:
CM
It is a pity we have to wait another two years. I would buy the 535d today if it were available. Amazing performance for reported combined mid30s mpg.
05/22, 8:27 PM
posted by:
Steve
I think it’s good that we have to wait for them to comply to strict emissions standards. I don’t know why exactly, but it might have something to do with me liking breatheable air and disliking acid rain. Who knows?
05/22, 8:45 PM
posted by:
VDub
As soon as its available im buying one.
05/22, 9:26 PM
posted by:
Lucien
“You really have to force you way into the marketplace when you’re a one-percent brand. Somebody else needs to go first [with a 50-state car].�
Whilst I understand the logic, perhaps if they forced themselves in to the market as the first major Euro diesel player they might do something about that one-percent……….. After all, they would have some support from Ford surely?
05/22, 11:26 PM
posted by:
digitalzombie
YEAH, CAlifornia baby. You tell em. lol. Then again we got BMW HQ here and NISSAN. Nissan is moving to TN though used to be the capital of the kkk.
05/23, 1:27 AM
posted by:
jit
The main problem for all companies is their diesels are not clean enough in their current form so have to produce better engines or some sort of filters to cleans the carbon dioxide coming out of the car. The only company that has such a system is Mercedes. (Shares with Chrysler,Jeep,smart)Their system is called bluetec and was first tried and tested on commercial trucks years ago so was easy to adapt and reliable. This system will be out latter this year in all models, two years before anyone else and shoulds help mercedes gain market shares as s result
05/23, 10:49 AM
posted by:
Anonymous
Fuc Califorina … there’s a helluva market for these elsewhere. You can buy almost any car as a diesel in Mexico or Panama. Let CARB control their people if they want to – I don’t live there.
jit: If that Blutec showed up in the new Dodge Nitro: I’d order one, but I’m afraid they’ll pussfoot around ’till Toyota cleans the boards – again.
j i m
05/23, 11:10 AM
posted by:
rapcar
The real problem has to do with crappy US diesel fuel, some of the worst in the world. If we had as good of fuel as the Europeans, we could use far more modern injection and emissions systems, making meeting the California emissions standards a much easier task. Blame the lobbying power of the big oil companies and their cronies in the Bush administration. I work for a company that was heavily involved in the negotiations for upcoming heavy truck pollution standards, and we were told outright that improving the quality of US diesel fuel (the most important step we could make) was absolutely off table, not to be discussed or even referenced. We were told by our contacts that the pressure was coming from the Oil lobby, but we never heard a really satisfactory reason why….. (the costs involved with upgrading refineries maybe? a desire to keep high mileage diesels off the US market?)
05/23, 1:39 PM
posted by:
Marshall
JIT – diesels generally produce less C02 than gassers. In any case there is no `filtering’ C02 out.
CARB is stupid for not looking at the bigger picture. C02 has *much* more potential for harming this planet than N0x or particulates.
Like rapcar says, it’s in large part b/c we have rotgut diesel fuel that we can’t use the latest scrubber technology in diesels. Let’s hope that changes soon.
Once you’ve driven the latest high output diesels from Europe you see little reason to ever want to go back to gassers.
-mt
05/23, 3:14 PM
posted by:
jon
I just hope Volvo imports their diesel V50 sooner rather than later. I’d buy a Jetta TDI but I’d rather have the Volvo.
05/25, 10:36 AM
posted by:
CM
Does anyone have further information regarding US legislation mandating improved diesel fuel standards in the US. If so, will these new standards mandate US diesel fuel to be of comparable quality to diesel fuel in Europe? If you have any information can you include a good reference?