Diesel > Hybrid

The 2011 Volkswagen Polo diesel which achieves 70mpg.  Photo courtesy of VW.

Hybrids are the most efficient form of car right?

Wrong.

There is a reason why in Europe, where gas is roughly $8 per gallon, more than 50% of all cars are diesel.

 If you want to drive an environmentally conscious car you would probably run out and buy a Toyota Prius or an equivalent hybrid vehicle.  Given the current market for cars you would probably be making a good choice.  But if multinational auto manufacturers were inclined to introduce their highly efficient diesel cars to the American market, hybrids would all but disappear. 

If you live in Europe you can go out and buy a Volkswagen Polo with a diesel engine that gets 70 miles per gallon.  The best selling hybrid in the US, the Toyota prius, gets a mere 51-mpg at best.  And the Prius is a more expensive car.  Not to mention that the production of acid based batteries needed for the Prius is highly detrimental to the environment.  While both diesel and hybrid engines cost a premium over traditional gas engines, the production of hybrid systems cost twice that of a diesel. 

In the United States, diesel is more expensive than gasoline, even sometimes more expensive than premium gasoline.  AAA reports that diesel is 7% more expensive than unleaded gas. However diesel engines are 30 percent more efficient than gas, according to popular mechanics. And yet only one percent of cars in the U.S. use diesel fuel.

So why is the American consumer so adverse to the thought of diesel cars?

The American consumer has the view of diesel being used only for trucks and heavy equipment.  Diesel also traditionally has a black smokey exhaust due to high sulfur content.  However recent EPA mandates have made all US diesel ultra low sulfur quality. Diesel cars like the VW polo produce less carbon dioxide emissions than any comparable gas vehicle. 

Companies like BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen have taken the gamble of introducing diesel cars to the American market.

"By 2014, between 10 and 20 percent of our mix will be diesels." Jim O'Donnell, president of BMW North America said to the media in 2009.

While many companies like BMW and Volkswagen plan to increase their diesel line-up, JD Power and Associated projects that Hybrids will account for a far greater portion of the market.  They report that diesel will make up 3.5 percent of the market by 2015, a jump up from the current one percent.   However, hybrids will climb to 9.5 percent, up from 5 percent last year.

The future of diesel is uncertain, but the truly informed consumer will realize its benefits over the trendy hybrid.