New Fuel Economy Standards to Bring More Clean Diesel Cars to Americans, Use Less Petroleum and Have Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Diesel Technology Forum issued the following statement on the occasion of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of 2016 new light-duty vehicle fuel economy standards.

 ‘Today’s announcement requiring more fuel efficient cars will mean more clean diesel choices for American consumers in the coming years,” said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, a Frederick, MD-based organization promoting clean diesel technology.   ‘Yesterday’s announcement by Mazda confirming that they will bring a clean diesel car to the U.S. in 2012 is the first evidence of what we believe will be many more announcements that underscore the role of fuel-efficient clean diesel technology in manufacturers plans to meet these new requirements,” added Schaeffer.

DOT and EPA announced that for 2016 model-year vehicles, fuel efficiency targets are being set at 35.5 miles per gallon combined for cars and trucks, an increase of nearly 10 mpg over current standards.

 ‘Clean diesel cars on the market today are already delivering a 10 mpg advantage or more over gasoline versions.  The Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel) is EPA rated at 42 mpg highway while the gasoline model is at 29 mpg; the Audi A3 TDI (diesel) is EPA rated at 42 mpg while the gasoline model is at 28 mpg.  The Volkswagen Jetta SportsWagen is rated 12 mpg better than its gasoline counterpart.   The BMW 335d is rated at 36 mpg (diesel) and the gasoline version is rated at 26 mpg.  In larger SUV segments, the Mercedes Benz GL350 BlueTEC for example is rated six mpg better than the gasoline version.”