Ford Not Selling 65MPG Gas Sipper In United States
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Ford is not going to sell the Fiesta in the United States. The vehicle runs on diesel fuel and can get up to 65 miles per gallon. This keeps with the attitude that Ford and other American car makers have about making fuel efficient vehicles. ‘American’s will get over it.’ The excuse Ford is using is that there aren’t enough diesel pumps in the United States to warrant the car being sold in there.
I’m not going to speak for everyone here, but I’m pretty sure that if a vehicle gets 67 miles per gallon, there are people who would flock to buy the vehicle and to the few diesel pumps available.
As I’ve said before, we’re already conditioned for $3.00+ a gallon gas. Slowly we will be worked up to $4.00 per gallon. American car companies on the other hand will make a handfull of gas sippers and improve their gas guzzlers MPG rating a little bit just so they can say they did something. Meanwhile Japanese companies are innovating and coming up with ways to send their MPG ratings through the roof.
6 Comments
Michael
September 12th, 2008
at 2:55am
I’ve been driving Diesel cars since 1987. I have no problem finding Diesel pumps here in the US. I’ve lived in pacific northwet, midwest, and now the east coast. You just have to condition yourself to look at the bottom of the sign that shows the price per gallon of gas. 65 MPG does sound very inticing. I’d be curious how big the car is. I drive a 1998 VW Jetta TDI which still yields me between 42-52 MPG.
Mark Spacer
September 12th, 2008
at 5:21am
Well now, Just where exactly do you get the idea that Ford won’t sell that vehicle in the US due to “there aren’t enough diesel pumps”?? That’s hogwash from you, not Ford. Diesels have been effectively banned in the US since 2007 model year due to highly restrictive emissions legislation. The new diesels are clean enough for the liberals in Europe, but not those that have political power in Washington. Most of the US automakers have high mileage diesel versions of their most popular vehicles running down the assembly lines right along with the US certified versions. Ford, Chrysler (yeah… 40 mpg Jeeps) they just are not allowed to SELL them here by the US government…. That’s fact…. spend a bit of time researching your posts before you post them. Those of us that actually work in the auto industry would appreciate it.
oztech
September 12th, 2008
at 5:38am
Sorry Mark. You’re the one that’s wrong. Many car makers are planning diesel vehicles for sale here in the US.
http://www.reuters.com/article/tnBasicIndustries-SP/idUST7705520070713
They just have stricter standards, they aren’t banned. Another fact is that the new diesel engines are much cleaner than unleaded fuel engines.
Joe Bloe
September 12th, 2008
at 8:30am
Ironic that America has its entire economy built on the diesel trucking industry, yet Ford says their are not enough distribution points.
If I knew how to contact Ford, & if it would do any good, I would send them a little love note.
Maybe this goes back to the 70s when Ford denied idling cars mysteriously shifting into gear was not their problem…
Altice
September 12th, 2008
at 12:12pm
I live in a city of about 100,000 in SW Virginia. There are at least a dozen diesel stations within 2 miles of my house. Not every neighborhood convenience store has them, but they are strewn along every major thoroughfare in and out of town. If Americans are so allergic to fuel efficient vehicles, why are they buying Toyotas, Hyundais and Kias as fast as dealers get them?
Rick
September 12th, 2008
at 12:48pm
Here in Florida, at least half of the fuel stations I visit have a nozzle for delivering diesel fuel. Perhaps the statement was regarding the lack of reformulated diesel fuel availability, which is needed for proper function in the new diesel engine designs? I dunno.
All I can say in my experience with diesel cars, is that GM effectively killed any potential for popularity of diesel engines for a couple generations of Americans with the sub-standard converted gasoline engine blocks they marketed in the 70’s and early 80’s. Noisy, dirty, failure prone and under-powered, they left a flood of distaste for diesel automobiles in their wake. It’s taken a long time for those memories to fade away.
I have to confirm the incredible mileage gotten by the VW Jetta TDI, having two coworkers who own them and each commute over 100 miles each work day. They rave about the mileage and the decent performance they have, although complain about the extra dollar per gallon fuel cost over that of regular-grade gasoline.