Guess who is number one on the Automobile Enviromental Index? You may think Honda with all it’s low powered 4 bangers, but it’s actually VW!
Volkswagen ranks highest among nameplates in the Automotive Environmental Index, with three models in the top 30. While there are no diesels within the top 30, several diesel models from Volkswagen also perform well, which is reflected in VW’s strong overall nameplate performance. VW is followed in the nameplate rankings by Honda and Mazda, respectively.
Way to go diesels! It goes on to talk about Hybrids and Diesels and how people have unattainable views on fuel savings.
On average, consumers considering a hybrid expect to pay approximately $5,250 more for the powertrain option. Acknowledging the increased vehicle price, these consumers expect an average fuel economy improvement of 28 miles per gallon compared to a similar vehicle powered by a gasoline internal combustion engine, when in reality, hybrid owners report getting an average improvement of just 9 mpg. Consumers considering a diesel expect to pay approximately $2,800 more for the option and expect an average fuel economy improvement of 21 mpg, while diesel owners report getting a 12 mpg improvement on average. Those considering an E85 vehicle are unsure whether to expect to pay more for the option or see an improvement in fuel economy, but instead hope the use of the ethanol-based fuel blend will help reduce U.S. dependency on foreign fuels. The availability of fuel or fueling stations is the largest concern among consumers considering a flexible fuel or diesel-powered vehicle.
“One of the biggest challenges for alternative powertrains is that consumers often have unrealistic expectations for the fuel-saving abilities of these vehicles,” Marshall said. “And particularly with hybrids, actual fuel performance often doesn’t live up to the vehicle’s EPA estimate. There is a real need to educate consumers about the technology and its benefits. Managing consumer expectations and lowering the cost premium will be instrumental in accelerating acceptance.”
I expected about a 20mpg increase by moving to a diesel and I’m actually almost getting that. If I drove slow and didn’t take off I would get about 28mpg(a couple times even 30mpg) in my Camaro with mostly highway miles. That’s pretty good for what the car is. I was hoping to get anywhere from 45-50mpg with my diesel and right now I’m at about 48mpg in my Jetta.
The difference is research. I didn’t just decide gas sucks I need a diesel. I have been studying this for about 6 months making sure it will fit my needs. Since I drive mostly highway and i wanted a bit easier car to drive the diesel Jetta was perfect. If I was to be only in the city and in stop and go traffic I may have thought about a hybrid….but probably not. When we see how a hybrid does in about 5 years of real world driving by people who don’t give a crap about cars and don’t treat it great we’ll see how the car still holds up. Then I will have an opinion about them, but right now diesel engines have been around over 100 years and can walk the walk. Hopefully others deciding on a new vehicle will stumble onto this while researching and it will help them out, even if they decide a diesel isn’t for them right now. As long as they’re informed and any misperceptions about diesels are erased I’m happy.