| reply to David
Re: Ford? said by David:yea sorry.... my bad... it just seems stupid not to bring it here. Part of the problem lies with the gas stations. There is a significant push to the cheapest gas possible, regardless of what it does to your vehicle. 87 octane is at rock bottom prices, diesel was the lowest for a moment, then it skyrocketed just as high as the rest of them.
The Jetta TDI which is the most notable current diesel vehicle has had some solid commercials and marketing, including some shared marketing from MythBusters, and it still isn't getting the exposure it likely deserves. My opinion is that's more about the price than the tech, but whatever.
Also, diesel is remembered as a"dirty" fuel, associated with emissions. Not that it's true these days of technology, but I think a lot of buyers are making that association. Big rigs use diesel as well and they spew all sorts of fumes. Obviously that's not the fuel's fault, but that's the perception, likely.
I'm sorry to say but if they want diesel to take off in the US, the need to speak the language of the Americans. Those cars have to be significantly cheaper than their regular-fuel counterparts. Obviously that will gut regular car sales. It's a lose-lose situation. |
