This would be great if they would pass the savings on to us, but I’m sure it will just mean more profit from a diesel car. Anyway, from nationalpost.com

In the precious metals universe, high gold and silver prices get the most attention. But the star performer in the sector is probably platinum - prices are up well over 50% in the last year because of power shortages in South Africa, the world’s biggest producer.
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HERNDON, Va.—Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced pricing for their eagerly anticipated Jetta TDI sedan and SportWagen starting at $21,990 and $23,590, respectively. Fuel efficiency, performance and convenience all come standard with the 50-state compliant Jetta sedan and SportWagen TDI, which meet the most stringent emissions standards in California and the world. Both models will be available this August.

“Our clean diesel vehicles offer consumers a true value with the fuel efficiency that drivers are looking for while providing power, utility and performance,” said Mark Barnes, COO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The Jetta TDI’s offer a no compromise alternative fuel driving experience.”
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LAS VEGAS, May 13 /PRNewswire/ — When consumers understand the advantages of today’s clean diesel power, it turns conventional thinking about diesel on its head, explained Gale Banks, chief executive officer of Gale Banks Engineering, and a featured speaker at the Alternative Fuels & Vehicles National Conference + Expo. The conference runs through Wednesday, May 14, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel.

“With clean diesel power, drivers can have approximately 30 percent better fuel economy and 50 percent more torque, as well as reduce emissions by up to 25 percent, when compared to gasoline-powered passenger car engines. With clean diesel no longer are fuel economy and performance mutually exclusive,” Banks said.
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From autonews.com

WASHINGTON — A panel of outside experts advising federal regulators about available technologies for improving fuel economy will include light-duty diesel engines in its final report.

In an interim report made public today, the panel said developments in emission controls indicate that modern diesels will be able to comply with U.S. clean-air regulations.

The potential of diesel engines to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30 to 40 percent over comparable gasoline engines justifies their inclusion on the list of available technologies, the interim report said.

5. The cost to turn a car into a Flex-Fuel or E-85 (85% Ethanol and 15% Gasoline) car is only about $200 for a manufacturer. E-85 is a bit more corrosive to some of the standard rubber and metal parts, but still the cheapest way to go “green”. The problem is ethanol contains slightly less energy than gasoline(whereas diesel has slightly more than gas) and so you need about 20%-30% more fuel running through your injectors for the vehicle to run on E-85 . If you try and run E-85 in a vehicle not designed to run E-85 you’ll see your Check Engine light come on in all its glory. Your car’s computer is telling you that the vehicle is running lean (meaning not enough fuel). I thought being “green” was all about being efficient? Ethanol is obviously not the most efficient way to go. Although I think biodiesel is up to the task.

From news.com

Following announcements from EcoMotors and Transonic Combustion, San Diego’s Achates Power has said on its Web site that it’s creating a clean, light, fuel-efficient diesel engine.

The company has also received investments from Sequoia Capital, a relative newcomer to energy investments, Rockport Capital Partners and Interwest Partners. (VentureWire has a brief interview with Achates CEO James Lemke.)

Achates has not said how its engine will work, the company has three patent applications on file with the U.S. Patent Office. Two of the patents describe what’s known as an opposed piston/opposed cylinder engine. In this type of engine, two pistons sit inside a single cylinder. That makes it different than most other motors where pistons have individual cylinders. (Some car makers have made engines with horizontal pistons, similar to an opposed piston engine, but they have their own cylinders.)

Subaru will be launching their 2.0L four-cylinder diesel following the Geneva auto show, offering it as an option in its Legacy and Outback models. Unfortunately, it will be at least 2 years before we see it in the States. Further insult to injury is that we will most likely not be able to get the five-speed manual that is being designed specifically for the diesel. Instead we will have to wait for the automatic that is currently being developed.

Oddly enough, though the engine is built in Japan, it will not be available to the Japanese until after the US launch.

The Audi A3 Cabriolet

Sporty, elegant, and emotion-packed – the new A3 Cabriolet is set to roll into showrooms in spring 2008. This four-passenger convertible model is the premium product in the compact class. It brings with it the distinctive sportiness, highly developed technology, and uncompromising quality that mark all Audi models. There are four powerful and efficient engines to choose from – two TFSI and two TDI – as well as a broad range of individual equipment options.

In this installment it goes into more of the racing of diesel. How it can win races because of its fuel economy and how Gale Banks is trying to turn diesel into the “cool” thing. In the end he talks about the basics of do-it-yourself upgrades and how they can be beneficial which I’m sure anyone reading this already knows. Again I wish they wouldn’t mute out all the engine sounds, but it’s still great that such a popular site is doing this series.

• Brand with four rings offers chauffeur service in Davos
• Cars are powered by environmentally sound GTL fuel
• Diesel fleet of 81 Audi A8 3.0 TDI models deployed

Audi will premiere a new fuel concept at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008 in Davos, Switzerland, from January 23 to 27. The brand with the four rings, which provides a chauffeur service at the World Economic Forum, will power its complete fleet of Audi A8 models with environmentally sound ‘GTL (gas-to-liquid) Fuel’ for the first time. In combination with efficient Audi TDI diesel engines, the fuel will allow CO2 emissions from the Audi fleet to be reduced by about 13 percent compared to last year. “We develop innovative premium cars that are environmentally friendly to drive. Our highly efficient TDI and TFSI engines are proof of this. The fact that our Audi A8 diesel fleet in Davos will be using GTL fuel also shows that we are working intensively toward achieving sustainable mobility,” said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG.