|
|
| Fig. 1: Old Diesel Truck (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
Diesel engines are not a common thing seen around the United States. Usually when you hear about or see a diesel engine, its in a large pick-up truck or something much larger than a tiny BMW sedan, that you or your wife would like to drive down the street. Back in the old days, it was common to see an old Ford farm-truck like this one on the right in Fig. 1, now, it is a rare occasion in most parts of the US. The main problem in terms of numbers that I want to make an emphasis on is the fact that in 2014, the United States Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics stated, out of 218 million vehicles, only 4% that were on the road were diesel, attributing this to the emphasis that diesel vehicles are significantly unpopular to the US population. [1] Compression inside the engine plays a huge role in the fuel efficiency as any other combustion factor. According to the Wall Street Journal, diesel's typical 30% fuel-efficiency advantage over gas still made it a more economical fuel. [2] Without comparing prices, it is still hard to come by to get yourself to buy a diesel vehicle. Companies like General Motors and others are trying to phase out diesel and even gasoline vehicles completely. With the uproar of electric vehicles going through the roof, people are trying to avoid high priced diesels. To try and win customers over from gas or diesel vehicles, GM is investing in a $2.3 Billion battery factory in Ohio in a joint venture with LG Chem of South Korea. [3]
I think this negative stigma that surrounds diesel vehicles plays a significant part in how the public sees them as a whole. Although they produce less CO2, the way the engine heats air in a diesel engine produces an excess amount of nitrogen oxides which include nitrogen dioxide, greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, and nitric oxide, which reacts with the oxygen in the air to form NO2. With this being said, there have been some implementations in design by diesel car companies that help combat this issue but are often overlooked. In addition to the emission factors, the maintenance is also a huge issue that Americans face. Most people are busy with either parenting, work, or have a job where they need a car/truck to work for them when they need it to. If you have a car/truck that has a lot of maintenance issues, you are going to be reluctant to trust it etc. Gas powered cars, compared to the diesel market, require less maintenance and upkeep in terms of engine efficiency.
The future of the diesel industry will continue to have a play in the use of alternative fuels and as policy makers plan on implementing new environmental regulations. According to representatives from Cummins Inc. (a well-known diesel engine producer worldwide) said that The path to zero emissions will involve a mix of energy conversion technologies that will use diverse carbon neutral and renewable energy sources that we could be using in our internal combustion engines. [4] I believe that these new technologies will continue to play a part in the ideal that diesel engines can be useful to the American people. Hopefully the stigma will dissipate and the aura around the negative impacts of diesel engines will soon deteriorate once Cummins and other companies step up.
© Kyle Petrucci. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] M. Chambers, "Diesel-Powered Passenger Cars and Light Trucks," United States Department of Transportation, October 2015.
[2] J. Welsh, "Answers About Diesel Cars in the U.S.," Wall Street Journal, 30 Dec 08.
[3] M. Colias, "GM to Phase Out Gas and Diesel-Powered Vehicles by 2035," Wall Street Journal, 28 Jan 21.
[4] A. East, "Future Outlook: Diesel to Play 'Important Role' in Path to Zero Emissions," The Republic, 12 Nov 20.
,_Ford_F-350_--_2006_--_6.jpg){kind=link}