Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
More news will be coming at the start of the new year. I haven’t been posting much because very little news has happened besides the random diesel spills.
Enjoy tonight and be safe.
More diesel options for the U.K.
From autoexpress.co.uk
The pace of a hot hatch, but more practical, cheaper and with fuel economy of nearly 50mpg – on paper, Skoda’s Octavia vRS TDI is a winner.
Although the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol version is a well known performance bargain, only now has the Czech manufacturer decided to introduce a diesel option. Producing 170bhp, the vRS TDI isn’t short of power and, in estate form, it should make the Octavia an unbeatable all-rounder.
Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. I hope Santa brings everyone all kinds of diesel presents.
From easier.com
The engine range for the Toyota Land Cruiser has been revised in line with Euro IV emissions standards. Both the 3.0-litre D-4D diesel and 4.0-litre VVT-i V6 petrol unit have been re-engineered to produce lower levels of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide emissions are also slightly reduced.
The changes have resulted in only minor variations in performance: maximum output from the 3.0-litre D-4D rises by 7bhp to 171bhp (173 DIN hp). Fuel consumption figures are marginally altered, between +1 and -0.5mpg.
The new engines are available from 1 January and there is no change to the vehicles’ on-the-road prices. Their introduction coincides with an enhanced specification for diesel Land Cruiser models, which are now fitted with Toyota’s acoustic windscreen and additional sound absorbing material in the dashboard to improve noise and vibration levels.
From Automotive News
MILAN – Italian automaker Fiat said today that it had agreed with Severstal-Avto to make diesel engines in Russia.
It said in a statement its Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) division had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian partner to set up a joint venture to make F1A engines.
The engines would be installed in a Fiat van, the Ducato LCV, and a Severstal-Avto sports utility vehicle (SUV), the UAZ Patriot, it said.
VW Press Release
Wolfsburg, 19 December 2006 - The Dakar Rally 2007 begins in 18 days. Five Race-Touareg 2s are involved as favourites and several new Touareg V6 TDIs as service vehicles. This will be a last trial before the second generation of the globally successful off-roader is delivered to the first customer at the beginning of 2007. The opinion of off-road experts: cars that can survive such a 9,000 kilometre desert adventure as the Dakar Rally can withstand anything.
From grainnet.com
Houston, TX — Biodiesel producer Green Earth Fuels, and its majority investors, Riverstone Holdings, LLC and The Carlyle Group, Dec. 19 announced that Goldman Sachs, through GS Power Holdings, LLC, has invested in Green Earth Fuels.
Goldman Sachs acquired its interest from the Carlyle /Riverstone Renewable Energy Infrastructure Fund (CRREIF). CRREIF originally made its investment in July, 2006.
LONDON (AFX) - ConocoPhillips said it has begun commercial production of renewable diesel fuel at its Whitegate Refinery in Cork, Ireland, and is producing 1,000 barrels of fuel per day for sale into the Irish market.
The production process uses soybean and other vegetable oils to produce renewable diesel fuel, the company said.
‘ConocoPhillips has developed an economical means of producing renewable diesel fuel that burns more cleanly than conventional diesel fuel and contributes to energy diversification,’ said Bob Hassler, president of Europe Refining, Marketing and Transportation.
From thetrucker.com
WASHINGTON (Dec. 18, 2006) — Reversing a five-week trend, the weekly average on-highway price of a gallon of diesel declined 1.5 cents to $2.602 for the week ended Dec. 18, according to the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy.
Beginning with a price of $2.506 for the week ended Nov. 6 that was down 1.1 cents from the previous week, the price climbed 11.1 cents a gallon to $2.621 for the week ended Dec. 11.
Press Release
Wolfsburg, 18 December 2006 - Volkswagen’s engine strategy integrates highly innovative technologies on the way via the fuel cell to pure electrical traction
TDI, TSI and DSG are the most efficient types of powertrains today
Clean TDI engines will satisfy the strictest emissions laws in the world
CCS will prove to be a key technology for a society independent of oil