Ford has no plans to offer diesel engines in passenger cars in the United States, according to Automotive News. Instead, diesels will be limited to Ford’s truck offerings in America, said Mark Fields, Ford’s U.S. division president.
“We have done a lot of assessment from a customer perspective, looking at what diesel offers in terms of fuel economy and performance versus cost,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development boss. “At this point in time, we would say that GTDI (gasoline turbocharged direct injection) seems to be the better alternative.”
Ford offers a number of efficient diesels in Europe — including a 50 mpg Focus — but those vehicle would not meet new strict emissions standards introduced here in America. Fields said Ford would be unable to price diesel cars fairly and still make money, so it will instead focus on turbocharger and gasoline direct injection and hybrids. Toyota has taken a similar stance, saying new regulations make diesels less cost effective than hybrids.



01/10, 11:58 AM
posted by:
GMnumberone4ever
Good, leave the market to GM. They do it better than anyone.
01/10, 12:04 PM
posted by:
bigjob
We have a person at the dealership, who has a Diesel Volkswagon, and just loves the fuel mileage and performance out of the car. Not sure I would give up on it altogether, but the diesel fuel price is not he benefit it once was about 5-years ago compared to gas.
01/10, 12:20 PM
posted by:
moogleii
“Translation-
Screw the environment, they always blame GM.”
01/10, 12:23 PM
posted by:
Renton
angelo — you are 100% right. It is the gov’ts fault. The US judges gas and diesel cars on the same scale. Europe judges them differently.
Damn hippie liberals.
01/10, 12:23 PM
posted by:
GMnumberone4ever
The only ones Ford can blame for putting Ford out of business is Ford. GM is just going to pick up the pieces.
01/10, 12:33 PM
posted by:
YourNameHere
maybe this is a way for the companys to get threw to the gvnt. it really is stupid.
01/10, 12:38 PM
posted by:
Scott Kempton
Man, I have never seen such a bunch of negative, bitter, hateful people in all my life.
01/10, 12:44 PM
posted by:
roadmaster96
I have no need for a hybrid or a diesel, i love cars but i know many others don’t share my level of passion and i would like for them to consume the least amount of fuel possible so more is avaliable for my 300C. The regulations should be softer for diesel cars than regular gas automobiles. Wouldn’t Biodiesel have a positive effect on emissions as well?
01/10, 12:50 PM
posted by:
Jon Luc
Actually Europe still has stricter emissions standards than even the new American ones.
01/10, 12:52 PM
posted by:
Jon Luc
So this guy Derrick Kuzak must be “friends” with the gas & oil companies.
01/10, 12:55 PM
posted by:
deutschetouring1337
Although diesel cars obtain 25 to 35 percent better mileage and emit less carbon dioxide than similar gasoline cars, they can emit 25 to 400 times more mass of particulate black carbon and associated organic matter (soot) per mile. Its funny to watch people whine about the goverment when without that goverment they would whine about no one their to hold their hand for them.
01/10, 12:56 PM
posted by:
Renton
Scott Kempleton –”Man, I have never seen such a bunch of negative, bitter, hateful people in all my life.”
New here, eh?
This is nothing.
01/10, 1:05 PM
posted by:
mujician
Why is everyone blaming the democrats for something bill that was passed by republicans????????????
01/10, 1:08 PM
posted by:
F451
Ford is being pretty definitive about their statement, and I applaud them for it. They are focusing on all matters—out of necessity—and this clearly demonstrates they are serious about the directions they are heading; no beating around the bush here.
01/10, 1:10 PM
posted by:
oddglat
WTF a 2.0 L I4 diesel cannot pass emissions but a push rod 8.3L V10 gasoline viper can?
Its more to do with the oil companies profit margins than anything else. diesel=less profit
its the same reason why the US have not signed up to the Kyoto agreement. $$$$$$$$$
01/10, 1:12 PM
posted by:
Impulsive
Hmmm, everyone was laying into Toyota for the same reason stated by Ford … where’s the Ford bashing?
01/10, 1:13 PM
posted by:
oddglat
“Although diesel cars obtain 25 to 35 percent better mileage and emit less carbon dioxide than similar gasoline cars, they can emit 25 to 400 times more mass of particulate black carbon and associated organic matter (soot) per mile.”
maybe in 1989 but NOT today the catalytic converters have been developed to give the same carbonHZ8 as a similar displacement gasoline engine , why do you tell such stupid lies? dooyou work for ford?
01/10, 1:23 PM
posted by:
lanapat7
Ford does not offer hybrids with the exception of Escape.
What are they talking about??
01/10, 1:25 PM
posted by:
Xymox
If VW and Honda are planning on bringing over diesels, why isn’t Ford? Once again, Ford has missed the mark.
01/10, 1:33 PM
posted by:
The Stig
This reinforces my belief that Mark Fields is a complete idiot.
01/10, 1:33 PM
posted by:
interphase
A modern toyota diesel engine fitted with their D-CAT system will pollute less than their equivalent petrol engine, and still give better mileage. It’s not about statistics, it’s about politics.
01/10, 1:45 PM
posted by:
Hyperion
At least he said “turbocharger”
01/10, 1:59 PM
posted by:
suthuna
I’m tempted to give up on legislative action and let the market decide. All jokes aside, America has a lot riding on future growth potential as it relates to transportation and efficiency. If we don’t get diesels from Ford, we’ll surely get them from someone. They will probably change their tune anyway as they notice the writing on the wall. GM has seen the error of its ways in announcing plans for the Volt. Tesla came along and changed the entire game. They are all very afraid of these technologies, clean or not. Imagine if Audi puts the V12 TDI into the R8 and sets the supercar world afire? Then what, Ford?
In perhaps 15 years lots of people will suffer as a result of increased fuel price volatility. Maybe it’ll be 2020, but surely by 2012 after the oncoming oil supply gluts (around 2008-2010) flood the market. We’ll casually watch as he world’s supergiant fields like Ghawar, Cantarell, decline at 5, 8, 10% a year maybe. But no, technology will save us without anyform of adaptation. That’s everyone’s hopes anyway. Guess we’ll be looking at new coal-to-liquids plants, ports for LNG shipments, new shale developments etc.
We’d better hope global warming is just a liberal fallacy aimed at growing big government. If not, finding gasoline will be the least of worries. I’m actually more concerned about food and water supply growth….
01/10, 2:14 PM
posted by:
A4
SCREW YOU FORD
01/10, 2:48 PM
posted by:
rey323
Disappointed that Ford won’t be producing diesels in the States. The issues regarding particulates, general public perception about diesels cleanliness (big rigs), and performance is huge. But I think the investment in meeting US’s strict standards and marketing would pay enormous dividends. I would imagine that a 50MPG Focus would kick ass here.
01/10, 3:30 PM
posted by:
Kaptain75329
These ford bashers need to take up their complaints with the US Congress – they’re the ones making it next to impossible for us to have efficient diesels here. No one can just design an engine overnight, much less one compliant with the oppressive regulations upon regulations we have here in the USA.
01/10, 3:54 PM
posted by:
Kaptain75329
“WTF a 2.0 L I4 diesel cannot pass emissions but a push rod 8.3L V10 gasoline viper can?
Its more to do with the oil companies profit margins than anything else. diesel=less profit
its the same reason why the US have not signed up to the Kyoto agreement. $$$$$$$$$” –
Comment by oddglat, posted on January10 at 1:10 pm
__________________
Yeap. And if you had the slightest clue of what you were talking about, you’d know why one can pass and the other cannot. Could have something to do with the emissions being different because the fuel is different. The term “particulate filter” coming up on a regular basis with discussion on diesels obviously doesn’t help you figure out that the two engines are clearly not the same technology. I certainly wouldn’t expect that after you missed the difference in fuel on your own question in the first place.
01/10, 4:22 PM
posted by:
bb_454
???? Doesn’t make any sence to me. Don’t diesels do real well in Europe? Something doesn’t seem right to me.
01/10, 5:36 PM
posted by:
LJ
I wonder if when it was mentioned Ford would use hybrids for better MPG, if they might not be considering a version of 06’s Refl3x concept? Looked better than the current Focus, 0-60, I think, was in the 6.5 seconds range, and 65MPG.
MSRP, though, could be scarey.
01/10, 7:23 PM
posted by:
mujician
Is their anyone else in the country with gas at 2.23 and diesel at 3.19????? Either I’m the only one, or all of the rest of you are retarded..eam3,1c3d0g,GMnumberthree4ever, The Stig, and if I didn’t mention you sorry I’ll get yah next time.
01/10, 9:04 PM
posted by:
ironpony42
Hell, you pay 2.23 per gal? Lucky bastard. Oregon is 2nd highest in the union at damn near 2.60 right now. Only Hawaii is paying more than us. Diesel is just a pinch over $3.00, so from 2.60UL to $3.05D isn’t that big a difference here. And lately the price of unleaded here seems to be rising faster than diesel closing the margin more.
01/10, 9:21 PM
posted by:
ironpony42
DCX, BMW, and VW will take the Diesel market and run. Hydrogen is still too far off to be feasible, and Hybrid drivetrains have yet to prove to most people they can reliably last 15 years and 200k. Meanwhile, diesels regularly run for 200-300K miles, and can last even longer on Arab-free high bio blends without major overhauls. I guess I just don’t see the thinking of Toyota and Ford on this one…
I really wonder how much of this has to do with “the man”. I mean, any dim-bulb with half a clue and a few bucks can whip up batches of Bio-Diesel in his tool-shed, avoiding road tax, and avoiding foriegn oil all toghether. If more and more people went this route, and formed larger and larger Bio-diesel co-ops like we have here, Big Oil, and “the man” will miss thier cut entirely from more and more people. Less Diesel cars on the road = more money to the man. Extreme regulation on diesels = more money to the man.
Just a thought…
01/10, 9:32 PM
posted by:
Simple Life
Ford is stupid, Americans want diesels, and you’re going to be left out in the cold if you shove them off like no big deal.
01/10, 9:34 PM
posted by:
Robert
I would have agreed that this was a stupid move if I hadn’t seen the articles about the direct inject turbo gasoline/E85 egines that promise 30-35% efficieny boosts over equivalently powered engines.
They benefit because they lack any of the required emissions hoops that diesels do. The small company that Ford has been working with to launch this technology is looking for price points just $1000 above current engines, a price point that cannot be beat and will not be beat by diesels in the near or medium term. Hybrids might get closer to that in their second generation when you factor in the efficiency gains of Li+ batteries and other technologies, but diesels are, for the moment, expensive.
Diesels only offer about 30% improvement in efficiency in cars, so those new direct inject turbos set to be released in 2010 or 2011, might be a better bet for Ford’s emissions goals until diesel tech becomes less expensive. Trucks make sense because of use requirements and the diminishing costs of increasing the size of particulate filtering technology.
Also remember that when you compare European gas mileage to U.S. that you might be looking at Imperial gallons. I don’t think that any Focus over there gets 50 mpg and is still worth driving, although I imagine the American “acceptable” diesels probably average in the mid-40s, not out of the range of the potential on these direct injection turbos on the horizon.
I think it’s dumb to abandon research into clean diesel technology (and yes, California has much more stringent emissions standards than Europe, which does lower your prospects over here), but given that they don’t have much money left to burn through, I’d rather they take a stand, much like Toyota did with hybrids in the late 90s (hence the successful Gen II Prius) and make somethig really good. They can apply this technology just like diesel engines to hybrid systems, and these technologies combined with Ford’s industry leading work in fuel cells should be enough to keep them relevant for the next 10-15 years barring Field’s mullet jumping off his head and killing Alan Mullaly in a rage of envy.
01/11, 12:07 AM
posted by:
shumpy
anyone harboring under the delusion that european standards are the same as the USA should buy a subscription to autonews and read this.
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/FREE/61218022/1121/rss07&rssfeed=rss07
it talks about europe toughening CURRENT standards and needing particulate filters, which is what we need now.
01/11, 9:05 AM
posted by:
Eion
I know I shouldn’t feed the troll, but…
“bb_454 just wait until GM dominates the future diesel technology, it’ll do hust [sic] fine here.”
Seems like Volkswagen and Audi are the ones doing the dominating. Does GM even sell any diesels that aren’t trucks?
01/11, 9:39 AM
posted by:
Aston_
Make as many concepts that wont make it to the real world now Ford, u just made a ‘dee dee dee’ decision.
01/11, 3:59 PM
posted by:
mujician
Hey, (Vike) your not the only one to notice. Actually I posted a remark earlier in the blog. It is nice to see someone with a little common sense for a change.
01/12, 12:57 PM
posted by:
mujician
Sorry everyone, but some people are just to dumb to realize how things work.
01/12, 1:57 PM
posted by:
1234
No diesel cars from Ford = no business from me.
01/13, 8:45 AM
posted by:
mujician
You cannot be serious, if you new anything about the environment you would not have posted those comments. It’s obvious that your intelligence is not that of someone who even knows about stagnating suspended partial pressure vapor. Is this something you just learned about in 6th grade physical science? Either what, your comments don’t at all justafy an intelligent life form.
01/13, 9:38 PM
posted by:
Bimmer
Damn, I was waiting for a DIESEL MUSTANG!!! LOL.
MUST have
Must ang!