LANGLEY, British Columbia, May 31, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — Nitro Lube, Inc. (Pink Sheets:NLUB), today announced that Nitro Lube is now part of the Canadian Golden Hawk project attempting to break the “diesel land speed record.”

Golden Hawk team leader, Randy Pierce, stated, “We are very careful in our selection of products to be used in the GOLDENHAWK Cummins (CMI) diesel powered Land Speed Streamliner. Only the best products and sponsors are chosen, and to select them we called on many tests and consulting testers. After testing many lubricants for our project, Nitro Lube came out the front runner and we feel that Nitro Lube lubricants will help us obtain our goal of the ‘diesel land speed record’ at the Bonneville Flats, Speed Week in August 2007. We chose Nitro Lube because they have the best super lubricants in the market.”

(more…)

The first-quarter 2007 share of diesel in Western European new car markets as a whole reached 52.4%, up from 50.2% a year earlier. It reached 50.8% in full-year 2006, having stood at 49.3% in 2005. Luxemburg (77.2% diesel), Belgium (77.0%) and France (73.8%) were the most diesel-intensive European markets last year.

The French automotive manufacturers association CCFA estimated that diesel vehicles accounted for 49.8% of the French car parc of 30.4m cars as at 1 January this year. Diesel cars accounted for 70% of new vehicle registrations in France in the first quarter of this year, while petrol cars accounted for 25% and hybrids for just 0.28%.

I’d say in the diesel vs. hybrid debate here is another winner for diesel. The only comparable small hybrid SUV really is the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid which is slower to 60 and only gets 34/30 mpg. This Honda CR-V Diesel gets 51.64mpg and 60mpg when cruising at a constant 62mph. Hopefully in a few years we’ll actually see one in the States too. From motoring.co.za.

Honda has introduced its first diesel to the South African automotive market.

The CR-V 2.2 i-CTDi has a 2204cc, 16-valve, four-cylinder turbodiesel for which Honda quotes 103kW at 4000rpm and 340Nm at 2000 which, it says, makes the new CR-V ideal for towing weekend toys down to your favourite playground.

(more…)

I love this article from wired magazine. Hybrids aren’t the only vehicles that should get a tax credit.

Diesel vehicles are expected to outsell hybrids in the United States within five years. This influx of clean and efficient will require a change to the tax code.

According to a study by UBS and Ricardo, annual diesel and hybrid gasoline vehicle sales in the United States of $2.7 million by 2012. Currently people who buy hybrids get a tax credit of varying amounts, but that code should be rewritten so that vehicle taxes are based on the combination of their price and fuel efficiency relative to the category of vehicle. This is fair to buyers, auto makers (since some bigger vehicles would receive a tax credit) and to the planet.

(more…)

With US regulators looking to revise fuel economy standards amid concerns for energy security and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, research published today by the Swiss bank UBS and the British auto-engineering consultancy Ricardo plc points to combined annual diesel and hybrid gasoline vehicle sales in the US of 2.7 million by 2012.

The Ricardo/UBS research report “Is Diesel set to boom in the US?” sets out the legislative and consumer drivers of engine technology for the North American automotive market over the coming decade, as well as the many candidate technologies available for future vehicle products.

(more…)

From news.com.au

FORMULA One boss Max Mosley has revealed his vision of the sport’s future and it involves diesel.

Mosley, president of governing body the FIA, is working on new technical regulations to be implemented in 2011.

The proposed rules call for 2.2 litre turbo-charged V6 engines running on environmentally friendly bio-diesel, capable of producing around 770 horsepower.

(more…)

STAMFORD, Conn.–Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc. an innovation leader for clean energy and environmental technologies to reduce harmful engine emissions today announced that it has developed a range of retrofit emissions control technologies, called Purifier, to meet the requirements of the London Low Emissions Zone (LEZ). The Mayor of London recently approved plans for the implementation of a London-wide LEZ. In addition, Clean Diesel’s Purifier technologies will benefit 31 other similar LEZs planned for metropolitan areas throughout Europe over the next three to four years. The goal of the LEZs is to dramatically reduce the number of heavily polluting commercial vehicles from entering large cities, including London starting in spring 2008, and to enable London and the other cities to achieve European Union air quality objectives.

(more…)

From Popular Mechanics

The diesel-electric hybrid hype has met its match: the U.S. Army. After focusing on hydrogen fuel cells in its original version of “The Aggressor,” a high-performance, off-road Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV) for military ground exploration and scouting missions, the Pentagon is now going the way of Detroit—with batteries.

(more…)

From Buffalonews.com

General Motors Corp.’s Town of Tonawanda engine plant is vying to make a new diesel engine, company officials said Monday, a move that would broaden the plant’s base of business as gasoline prices rise.

Landing the engine would not add jobs, but it would secure 150 positions and heighten the plant’s importance within GM.

“Tonawanda put up its hand,” GM spokeswoman Mary Ann Brown said. “We do have [vacant] space — we’d be happy to do that product.”

GM plans a 4.5-liter diesel that would be available in some pickups and SUVs after 2009. Making the diesel engine would be a first for the plant on River Road, which makes gasoline engines for GM cars and trucks.

(more…)

- Third Audi R10 TDI for Luhr/Prémat/Rockenfeller
- Experienced Le Mans drivers in the two other R10 TDI cars
- Mattias Ekström is reserve driver for Tom Kristensen

For the first time since their triple victory in 2002, AUDI AG will be fielding three factory cars again in the Le Mans 24 Hours. The DTM drivers Lucas Luhr (27/Germany), Alexandre Prémat (25/France) and Mike Rockenfeller (23/Germany) are going to drive a third Audi R10 TDI (car number 3) in the French endurance classic on 16/17 June. Former DTM Champion Mattias Ekström (28/Sweden) is Audi’s reserve driver in the event that Tom Kristensen (39/Denmark) should not be fit in time for racing again.

(more…)