Latest Articles by Dwayne

DaimlerChrysler reports Q1 2007 results with IFRS

Sat, 19 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

DaimlerChrysler presented earlier this week the report on the first quarter of 2007, but this time in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). As reflected in their income statement, the pre-tax performance measure operating profit, which was previously used to discuss the profitability of the Group and its divisions, has now been replaced by earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). And the previous net income, which was used to report after-tax earnings, is now net profit.

Because of these changes, the internal financial management and the external reporting were met even more closely. Expenses, sales, and savings that were before accounted for in the Van, Bus, and Other segment or under eliminations have been allocated to the related divisions. Eventually, this process leads to divisions’ earnings effects which were shown before at the Group level.

From $1,579 million last year, DaimlerChrysler increased its EBIT to $2,730 million in the first quarter this year. The restructuring expenses related to the implementation of the $1,222 million Chrysler Group's Recovery and Transformation Plan reduced their earnings. Troubled suppliers were provided an additional charge of $160 million and so as the implementation of the new management model worth $72 million from the financial support. However, the $2,090 million income was attained in connection with DaimlerChrysler's equity interest in EADS and partially by the repayment of the $152 million expenses from the Power8 restructuring program at EADS.

Improved results of the operations at the Mercedes Car Group and the Truck Group greatly contributed to the increase in earnings at the Chrysler Group.

As to the aspect of efficiency-improving programs, there were defined measures to improve further the using up of facilities for production. In effect, depreciation of property, plant and equipment has been reduced. This step made an unquestionable impact on the Group’s EBIT that amounted to $285 million. So to break this down, $202 million is regarded as Mercedes Car Group’s EBIT, $32 million at the Truck Group and $51 million is considered at Van, Bus, and others.

From last year’s $1,045 million net profit, DaimlerChrysler reached more than 50 percent increase this year. Net profit for the first quarter of 2007 amounted to $2,637 million. The manufacturer reached $2.53 earnings per share; another more than 50 percent increase from last year’s $1.03.

The company sold 1.1 million vehicles around the world during the first quarter of 2007. Putting this in terms of revenues, this amounts to $47.3 billion. DaimlerChrysler experienced a 6 percent decline in revenues from last year’s $50.1 billion.

What lies ahead for DaimlerChrysler?

DaimlerChrysler anticipates future growth in the global industry. The manufacturer expects that for the whole year of 2007, demand for vehicles in North America and Western Europe will be even weaker than in 2006. But in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, the company looks for more demand for commercial vehicles and passenger cars. In the field of commercial-vehicles business, the company expects a huge decline in the demand for trucks in North America and Japan; but to attain good revenues, markets in Western Europe should remain stable.

For the entire year of 2007, DaimlerChrysler looks forward to reach EBIT of $9.4 billion as compared to last years’ $7.4 billion. Essential factors that affect this year’s earnings are the gain of $2.1 billion that was realized on the transfer of interest in EADS; and charges of $1.3 billion that resulted from the implementation of the Recovery and Transformation Plan at the Chrysler Group and of $0.8 billion from the new management model.

These anticipated earnings somehow tell the present status of DaimlerChrysler.

About DaimlerChrysler

A German car corporation, DaimlerChrysler is the fifth largest car manufacturer in the world. It produces cars and trucks under different brands such as Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Maybach, Mopar and GEM. It is also a manufacturer of many famous and top of the line auto parts such as Mercedes OEM part.

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Dwyane Thomas is a part time cook and full-time auto-enthusiast. This 31-year old Civil and Environmental graduate is a consultant at one of the engineering firms in Pennsylvania.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Suzuki is 3rd safest car says European assessment group

Sat, 19 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Car manufacturers do not make cars just for the sake of having something to use for transportation purposes. Majority, if not all, always see to it that they consider their customers’ safety when using their product so that their clients will continue to patronize their auto mobiles.

Now, a Japanese car won the hearts of European car analysts in an assessment test.

The new 2007 4x4 Suzuki Grand Vitara got the third highest overall rating after earning high marks in the three categories of the crashworthiness test made by the Euro New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP).

Out of five stars, the Suzuki car got four in Adult Occupant rating and another four in Child Protection. In the Pedestrian Protection rating, the 4X4 model scored three out of four stars.

Mr. Kazuyuki Yamashita, SMC's Deputy Staff Manager, Middle East & Africa Marketing Group (Automobile) said their company’s excellent ratings in the Euro NCAP reflect SMC’s high level of concern for the safety performance of their vehicles. He further said they design their cars with the aim of providing first class protection to all occupants, including infants who are usually the most susceptible to any risks, and minimize the impacts in case of accidents. He added that with Suzuki’s safety features, customers will experience a high degree of confidence while driving the 2007Grand Vitara.

The Adult Occupant Test went this way: Dummies were placed inside the car. Then, the impact of a car crash on the driver and passengers was measured. And how did the Grand Vitara fared in this test? The model’s sufficiently pressurized airbags, one of the model’s safety features, prevented the passenger's head from bottoming out the airbag and hitting into the steering wheel.

One of the reasons why the model also ranked in the Child Protection category is that it has child safety feature such as satisfactory space between the front seats and the child restraints.

As to the Pedestrian Protection category, the board of jury noted the excellent performance of the wiper blades. Upon collision the auto part remained upright and hidden behind the central pillars of the windscreen. This reduces the risks of head injuries for pedestrians. Aside from this, the Suzuki 4X4 model’s bumper also won the hearts of the assessors. The auto part also got maximum points for greatly reducing the possibilities of injuries in the leg.

Yamashita said the new 2007 4x4 Suzuki Grand Vitara has been engineered with the aim of combining safety, comfort, excellent performance and luxury. He said Suzuki is still in the process of continuously improving the quality of their automobiles in order to provide customers with great value in every new product that they present in the market.

Suzuki believes the customers are the reason of their existence that is why they continue to bring quality products to their clients.

Other safety features that come along with the 2007 Grand Vitara include front fog lamps, Smart Pass keyless entry and start system with panic button. The vehicle also comes with five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission, 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, seven-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio system, and privacy glass. The 3-door 1.6 Liter engine and 5-door 2.0 and 2.7 Liter engine are the two versions of the winning vehicle.

About Euro NCAP

The Euro NCAP is an international association that is established to provide motoring consumers a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most well known cars on sale in Europe.

Meanwhile, Mercedes Benz is a European car that is widely known for its state of the art safety technology. As a matter of fact, around the world, it is the first car known for its safety features and the only car manufacturer with the exceptional distinction of permitting their safety innovations for use by their competitors just for the sake of improving automobile and family safety. Mercedes Benz cars come along with quality Mercedes oil filter.

Survey reveals future of car-centered city

Sat, 19 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

As Zipcar, the world's largest car sharing service, celebrates its seventh anniversary, it conducted a survey on what car-centered city life will be seven years from now.

Questions were asked to the respondents in North America to come up with conclusions on what will happen seven years from now in a city which is car dependent. Examples if the queries were: How many minutes does it take for you to get yourself in the office from your house? Will gas prices keep rising? How long does it take to find city street parking? If you live in the city now, will you still be here in 2014?

In May 2000, Zipcar altered city life by giving the urban people a new option to car ownership. As a matter of fact, the car servicing organization conducted a survey among its members to measure how urban residents throughout North America believe urban living could or should change in the next seven years.

Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith said the I-Pod had not been unleashed and My Space was still so utopian seven years ago; but because of high technology innovations, the lives of the people quickly and tremendously changed. He further said population in the urban areas continues to grow; and because of the states’ focus on sustainable development, it is also implied that city residents will consider positive changes for the urban areas to grow directionally proportional to the positive side.

The survey revealed that 4o percent of the city residents want to stay. Almost half of the respondents said the most attractive aspect of city life is that there is a wide array of avenues for different things, say entertainment, sports and leisure. It was also found out that 33 is the average age of the respondents.

Majority or 61 percent responded they think the price of gas will be at least $5.00 per gallon in seven years; while 25 percent believes prices will be more than $6.00.

As to the cars’ parking area, 50 percent of the respondents anticipate that they will spend 20 minutes or more just to find for a parking space in 2014, while 16 percent said they spend that much time doing so today.

Meanwhile, almost one-third of the respondents answered they want the congestion charge to be implemented. This, they believe is the number one policy decision that would greatly improve life in the car-centered city.

The survey further showed that only about 16% of Washington DC residents think that the Washington Nationals will win a World Series and a potential Skyscraper in DC is likely to happen during the next seven years. An almost huge part or one third of Boston residents expect that the Charles River will be clean and safe to swim in by 2014. It also showed that 90% of the residents in Chicago believe the Cubs will be in Wrigley field for at least the next seven years.

Griffith also said living in the city has several benefits. Examples of these are following the favorite sports team or actors and actresses, and going to the amazing theaters or restaurants.

He also added that from the start of Zipcar’s existence, they witnessed how cities changed, improved, prospered and developed. Their survey revealed that continuously improving cities will further experience progress with a dedicated and persevering population that is unswerving to the inevitable improvement of urban lifestyle.

On its seventh anniversary, Zipcar is glad to announce that it already has 100,000 members in three countries and 23 cities.

Meanwhile, luxury car like the Mercedes, which has quality Mercedes performance part, also has a huge role in the life style of the urban people. The number of luxury car sold is an example of a determinant as to an areas’ progress because it adds to the revenues of a given community.

Brake it up!

Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Brakes perform a very vital role in your automobile. Yes, it is like saying your life depends on your brakes. They control the stopping and the running of your vehicle. When a sudden stop is needed to avoid a crash, the brakes do the most important task. They also play the most essential part while controlling the speed of the vehicle. So they should never be taken for granted from the repairs up to the maintenance.

Having the “know how” in brake maintenance saves time, effort, and definitely, money.

There are certain things to remember when doing a brake job. For example, on the brake temperature, you must know the right fluid that will not deteriorate you brake system. For cars which are not subject to high brake temperature, silicon fluid is applicable. This fluid will not damage the paint, nor absorb water, nor allow corrosion.

However, silicon brake fluid constricts at 360 degrees Fahrenheit. In effect, this causes the pedal to feel squishy. In this case, silicon brake fluid is not advisable for racing purposes.

Keep in mind that water gives low temperature boiling and the oil eats the rubber seals. So never get or remove any water or oil in the brake fluid. Make sure to regularly check and change the brake fluid in order for the moisture to get out of the brake system. A problem is being implied by a change in the level of fluid.

Air must not enter the brake system. If in case of any, it must be immediately removed. A squashy pedal is an indicator that air has entered.

Simultaneously leak out dual master cylinder systems. Before connecting the brake lines, it is necessary to leak out the cylinder. Slightly open the bleed screw once the lines are already linked. Have this done on the front and the rear brakes on one side of your auto mobile. Then, put one end of the vacuum hose on the nipple of each bleed screw and the other end in a jar. Until the brake reservoir is almost empty, gently pump the brake pedal.

An alternative way of leaking out or bleeding is through the use of a hand or manually operated vacuum pump that is attached to the bleed screw.

To push the bubbles out of their hidden places, you can use a turkey buster to pump brake fluid into the bleed screw. And to let the bubbles out, tap on the calipers with the use of hammer. By this way, the bubbles can exit with the fluid.

All these tips and more which you can find from your owner’s manual will guide you in doing some brake job.

The next thing to do is to break in your new brake pads. This can be done by braking and allowing alternately the brakes to cool down. This is for the reason that brake pads must be heated uniformly.

Then, in the case of your Mercedes, examine the Mercedes brake boosters through pumping the pedal a few times. Do this slowly and with engine off.

To finally check whether the brakes are ok or not, press the pedal. Then start the engine. If the pedal drops as the vacuum develops in the booster, then it goes to show your brake system is doing fine.

Auto Repairs to Prevent Road Accidents

Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Every year, the US always has a huge number of cases of road accidents that cause death of many people. Poor auto maintenance is the pointed reason on this matter.

As the most popular and common means of transportation, cars need to be properly checked regularly to avoid accidents. Keeping one’s auto mobile in excellent condition (which means not luxurious but safety wise) can greatly minimize the risk of accidents.

Before going on the road, regularly check the tires. Regardless of the type of car you use, it is important to examine if there are low treads, flats, worn spots, or leaks, their air levels and if they are over used. To be sure, do the inspection on a weekly basis.

Every after six months, make sure to change your windshield wipers. This is to assure that your eyes will clearly see every single detail on the road.

If you own a Mercedes, it is advisable to regularly check the Mercedes Benz brake caliper. This generates a speed-stopping amount of friction to slow down your Benz. It therefore needs regular checking.

Most accidents happen during intensive speed of the car. Remember that the brakes slow down your car from a given speed. If the brake pedal goes all the way to the floor upon pressing it, it means they are very low. So you better check on it.

In the case of you Mercedes, since this car brand is always the first when it comes to new technology and safety features, it might have brake warning system. This lets the driver know if there is something wrong with the car’s brake system. Usually, this warning system is found on the dashboard. This lights up whenever there is something wrong with the brakes.

Headlights, on the other hand, should be replaced every year. These are another very significant auto parts for a clear vision on the road.

Other auto parts and related concerns that need regular checking include the suspension or steering, electronic or ignition control, electrical problem, oil change, filters, lube, exhaust system, fuel system or carburetor, clutch or transmission, and the air conditioning system.

Maintaining a car is expensive. It is said to be the very reason why car owners do not regularly maintain their vehicles; which in effect results to accidents.

Nonetheless, on a positive side, there are ways to save money while doing a car repair and maintenance at the same time.

If you are planning to go to a mechanic for a car repair, always make sure to get the lowest price possible for a quality repair. If you want to really save money while doing a repair, do it yourself. Use the tools found in your garage. You can also borrow some from the neighborhood. But be sure to use the appropriate and well functioning tools. Consulting your owner’s manual will help a lot.

Do a preventive maintenance. This means repairing auto parts before they get severely deteriorated or worn out. Huge problem may mean huge amount of money for its resolution. But if you do preventive maintenance, money saving is an assurance.

Your Car's Brakes: Symptoms of failure

Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A car is a whole which is composed of integrated parts that works simultaneously to facilitate excellent driving. If a single minute part fails, the entire body or the vehicle as a whole will not function well. This will lead to car breakdown or worse, accidents.

Taking the brake system as an example of a car part, it is necessary to know when it is not functioning well so that immediate course of action can be done to further prevent severe wear and tear and most importantly, to instill car safety.

Different noises are symptoms of a failed brake system. As an infant cries to ask for a mother’s care, the brakes make noises to inform the driver that something is needed to be taken cared of. Common noises produced by the brakes are grinds and squeaks.

Worn out break pads are determined by a metallic grinding sound from the brake system. In the case of a Mercedes car, the Mercedes brake dust cover can also be damaged whenever metals on the brake system come into contact.

Squeaking is the noise produced when there is friction from the linings of the brakes. This can eventually damage the pads, linings, brake drums and rotors under intensive conditions.

Fading of low brake pedal is also a symptom of a failed brake system. This can either be a result of any of these instances: there is a leak in the system; air has entered in to the brake linings; or there is a need to adjust the brake.

This symptom is felt when the brakes need to be pumped to stop the car, or when the pedal sinks to the board of the floor when you are stopped while car lights are on.

When you feel like being pulled to one side, it means you either have a damaged brake line, or worn or uneven brake linings. And when you feel a brake drag, it goes to show that your brakes are not properly adjusted or they contain contaminated fluid.

Once any of these symptoms are felt, immediately inspect your brake system. Through browsing your owner’s manual and understanding every single detail written on it, you can easily inspect which part is which and how is should look like and function.

Say, the master cylinder. It is called the “heart of the brake system”. It has a reservoir for brake fluid. Located on the fire wall, it should be inspected regularly to assure fluid at the right level.

Attached to the cylinder master are the brake lines. The steel brake tubing is transcended to all the wheel of your vehicle. Rusts are the worst enemies of the brake lines. To avoid these and leaks, regularly inspect the linings. Replacement is the best course of action in case of damages.

Running from the brake lines to the brake calipers as well as to the wheel cylinders are rubber brake hoses. It is advised to avoid their exposure to dirt, road grime, salt and other elements. These can make the rubber to become brittle and can produce crack. This will then lead to a failure in the brake system.

To avoid glazing, uneven or excess wear, and saturation from brake fluid or grease, periodically inspect the pads and brake shoe linings.

The calipers and wheel cylinders should be inspected regularly to prevent leak that can lead to freakish braking.

Aside from simple inspection, lubrication must also be done to the wheel bearings. Faulty steering is the result of worn wheel bearings. And when this happens, immediately replace them.

And lastly, but certainly not the least among the parts to be taken cared of, the parking brake. Periodical adjustments are needed by this auto part.

Knowing the symptoms of a failing or failed brake system and the kind of maintenance for its parts makes you an aware and responsible car owner.

Brake Parts Checked

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Brakes play a vital role in your vehicle. A brake is a device used in slowing or stopping the motion of the car. The brakes also make the car start moving again. As a responsible car owner, it is a must that you know the brake parts, their functions and right time when to repair or replace it.

When the red brake lamp on the dash lights up, it implies it is time to check or repair your brakes. While driving, if you see the ABS or anti-lock dash indicator lighting, it means they want to be replaced.

A grinding sound or squealing coming from the wheel area implies a brake problem. Go check it or see a mechanic. Also, if the brake system feels different, (say, it has a softer brake pedal or it pulls to one side when stopping), they imply immediate replacement.

The master cylinder is considered the heart of your brake system. This is because it is located at the center of the system. It pumps brake fluid to the wheel cylinder or calipers whenever you push down on the brake pedal. The level of reserved fluids should be inspected every now and then. Make sure every after 40,000 km vehicle run, your brake fluid will be replaced.

The calipers (for disc brakes) and wheel cylinders (for drum brakes) converts the energy of the brake fluid that is pressurized into pressure. This is what makes the brakes operate. To maintain a good condition, periodically inspect if there are leaks around the rubber seals. If there is, do some repairs.

An electronically controlled system, the ABS detects problems, which some can be self repaired. Others will shut down the ABS system, which causes the ABS light on the dash to be illuminated.

A brake job or further inspection is needed if in case you want to know whether the linings of your brake pads and shoes needs to be replaced or not. This brake job must be done frequently to achieve vehicle quality performance.

Ask a technician to lubricate the cables and do some adjustment checking if you do not regularly use the parking brake. Corrosion is the potential problem in this instance.

If your car is a very high tech one, like a recent Benz model with refined Mercedes disc, its computer will record car problems that can help the technician in properly resolving the problem. In this case, you and the technician will not have a hard time inspecting what really went wrong.

Heading to the Barcelona Grand Prix

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

There have been changes made on the Circuit de Catalunya’s track layout. In place of the final two corners at the end of the lap is a chicane that flicks left and then right. The changes were made to boost safety and to encourage more overtaking especially at the event when drivers are following the car ahead more closely as they try to pass the other for the win. The new layout of the Circuit de Catalunya is created for better slipstreaming and to provide drivers with better room for overtaking.

The difference between racing in Europe from fly-away destinations is in terms of proximity of races. Add to that the fact that in Europe there is the McLaren technology Center that produces the high performance parts like Mercedes fuel pumps and more that are used by team during races. There is also the Mercedes-Benz high performance engines which allow the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team to depart for the Grand Prix to take part on flyaway races.

At the European races the team also operates from its modified trackside facilities. The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team takes its racing equipment to each Grand Prix transported by 15 Mercedes-Benz Actros of which seven are for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Communications Center with three of the vehicles remaining on the paddock as office space and support facilities.

The equipment weighs 30 tons of which include three race cars. The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team travels to the European Grand Prix with 135 team members which is 40 people more than at flyaway races.

Here are the quotes from the drivers:

Fernando Alonso: "As my home race, the Spanish Grand Prix is massively important to me. The support I receive from the crowd all weekend is immense and it really does give me extra motivation to have a great race for them. However, there is no more pressure on me or more focus from me, when I am in the car it is the same as any track, but it is my home and it is only natural to want to win. The race in Bahrain was not great for me, but I have arrived in Spain leading the World Championship and that is a good position to be in going into the European season. We had a strong test at this track earlier this week and we got to understand more about how the car performs at the Circuit de Catalunya and the changes to the layout. Although I have always really enjoyed the final two corners and their speed, the new chicane at the end of the track will hopefully lead to more overtaking during the race, which is great for the spectators."

Lewis Hamilton: "It seems to have been a very long time since we last raced, and I cannot wait to get back in my car and back to the action. There has not been any relaxing on our part though, when I returned to the UK I had a couple of days before returning to the McLaren Technology Centre to work with the team on the development programme. This break has also given us the opportunity to get some serious physical training in. During the races, it is more about maintaining fitness levels, when we have a couple of weeks we can really focus on improvements in performance. The Barcelona track is great to race on, it will be interesting to see how the new chicane affects this. I enjoyed the GP2 weekend last year, where I achieved a second and fourth place, and am looking forward to fighting for more points for myself and the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team."

Mercedes-Benz Active Brake Assist Awarded

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Amidst the problem that DaimlerChrysler the producer of high quality Mercedes grill is facing it has still been able to obtain tidbits of success which hopefully will inspire the automaker not to give up on the challenges that’s coming its way. Just recently, Dr.–Ing. Jurgen Trost age 48, the developer of Mercedes-Benz Active Brake Assist for commercial vehicles, has been bestowed with the 2007 European Commercial Vehicle Safety award.

The award was given by the technical appraisal organization DEKRA, the German Traffic Safety Council (DVR) and the European Association for Accident Research and Analysis (EVU) to head of the Driver Assistance Systems department at DaimlerChrysler AG for his outstanding contribution to the development of Active Brake Assist which has improved the safeness of commercial vehicles. The award was presented at the 2nd DEKRA Active Safety Symposium in Klettwitz (Brandenburg).

Dr. Trost being the head of the Driver Assistance Systems at DaimlerChrysler together with his team has worldwide responsibility for the creation of safety and assistance functions for heavy commercial vehicles. But the main focus of his work is on the development of electronic architectures for commercial vehicles in which he spearheaded projects such as the “Steer by Wire” and active safety systems.

This is not the first time that the head of DaimlerChrysler’s Drivers Assistance Systems and his colleagues have received such recognitions. It can be remembered that in 2002 they also been nominated for the “German Future Award-The Federal President’s Award for Technology and Innovation” for their development of the emergency braking system for heavy commercial vehicles which is a project that they have been working on under the title of “Protector” at that time.

The 2007 European Commercial Vehicle Safety Award will be the 18th award presented and it is given to honor the outstanding technical innovation or to honor the life’s work of an individual. The recipients of this award are mostly internally renowned experts who have made outstanding contributions to the safety of commercial vehicles. The award given to Dr. Trost was in recognition for the life-saving technology of Mercedes-Benz Active Brake Assist which has received the Yellow Angel award presented by the ADAC.

DaimlerChrysler's Active Brake Assist
The Active Brake Assist embodies the vision of DaimlerChrysler of an “accident-free driving”. With this new safety technology the automaker is hoping that future road accidents are to be avoided.

DaimlerChrysler has also presented what they claim to be the world’s safest truck as part of their “accident-free driving” vision. The truck was presented to both the European Commission in Brussels and to high-ranking representatives from politics as well as to associations and technical appraisal organizations in almost 13 countries. The Mercedes-Benz Safety Truck is equipped with a blend of all available assistance and safety systems with the addition of the Active Brake Assist system which has recently entered a series of production.

The Mercedes-Benz Active Brake Assist has been made available on the market since autumn 2006. And in connection with the Telligent stability control, Telligent proximity cruise control, Telligent lane assist and the driver airbag, it is offered as a particularly favorably priced “Safety Package”. The Active Brake Assists system is based on the proximity cruise control system. It automatically starts emergency braking action whenever the truck is in danger of rear-end collision. And if in case collision is inevitable the impact speed is reduced significantly so that the effects of the accident are far less serious.

Japanese and European automakers to start clean diesel revolution

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Desperate times call for desperate measures and the worsening problem on global warming is an emergency that requires an immediate solution. Everybody needs to pitch in to help. The European and Japanese auto makers plans to invade Canada and the United States with 2008 models that run on clean-diesel models that deliver better fuel economy as compared to their gasoline-burning counterparts.

The new clean diesels are to be equipped with soot-cleaning technology plus eco-friendly auto components such as the Mercedes fuel injection that will minimize harmful emissions and at the same time will pass the most stringent emissions standards.

It also seems that the new-clean diesel trend is gaining popularity and soon will be reaching a critical mass. The many contenders would include a range of Mercedes-Benz SUVs with Bluetec diesels (M-Class, R-Class, and the GL-Class). BMW is also planning to bring its popular turbo diesel engines while Nissan is telling us about its diesel Maxima sedan.

Europe’s largest automaker which for so long has sold diesel in the US is planning to convert to new cleaner diesel technology starting in 2008. The “Blue Motion” system of Volkswagen which was borrowed from Mercedes’ Bluetec system will be offered as part of the new TDI Jetta.

The only likely problem that these automakers will face is in terms of consumer acceptance since at this time many buyers think that gasoline-electric hybrids are the best green option for them. Aside from that many buyers are still wondering if the new diesels are good and clean enough to make people forget the sooty emissions and poor reliability of diesel powered vehicles during the 70s and 80s.

Another factor that is seen to affect consumer acceptance is the price of gasoline which seldom fall by the way. Ethanol which would have been a good alternative of clean fuel has also received many criticisms especially in terms of its efficiency and availability.

But the biggest barrier of all is the oil industry since it all depends on them whether they would want to take part on the global effort to get rid of pollution by shifting an enormous part of their investments in clean-diesel refining in order to supply the world with the clean diesel fuel that it needs. And if in case the oil industry takes part on the clean diesel fuel move, the next question will be: are they also willing to spend on user-friendly diesel filling pumps for passenger cars and light trucks. At present, there are already very few filling stations both in Canada and the US that offer diesel.

Clean diesel fuel powered cars will have to compete with hybrids. The selling point of clean diesel fuel is the fact that it performs well in various driving conditions as compared to hybrid vehicles that obtain fuel efficiency only in city driving. Diesel cars consume 20-to-40 percent less than gasoline cars.

Europeans have already shifted to the use of diesels and it was even made easier when the government has lowered fuel taxes to encourage customers to shift to diesel. Another advantage of the Europeans is that they have had longer years of access to clean fuels. And at present, more than half of the cars sold in Europe are diesel.

And according to the market researcher J.D. Power diesel cars and light trucks will take 11.8 percent of the US market by 2015 as compared to the 4.86 percent for hybrids. The trends are also similar in Canada.

Unfortunately no one can really tell the outcome of the coming surge of the new clean diesel fuel. DaimlerChrysler AG said that its new emissions technology will make diesel as clean and as efficient as gasoline.

The technology that DaimlerChrysler is referring to is the Bluetec system which makes use of a catalytic converter and specialized fuel filters to reduce the emission of harmful nitrogen oxide. The automaker is also confident that its Bluetec technology will convert North American drivers to diesel and provide hybrids finally with a worthy opponent.

And lastly every change has its price and the shift to clean diesel fuel will require for additional equipment on the part of automakers. In terms of production cost the hybrid is not far from diesel, so the competition will be on the technology.