Quote:
Originally Posted by minispeed
And if the american public was willing to pay the premium on the car to re coup the cost of the development then maybe the auto makers would want to, but the public constantly shows that things like quiet, style, size and high reving power matter more to them and that's where they spend their money.
The only reason the europeans spend that kind of cost building and refining diesel is because the deep tax cuts have given the public the incentive to buy diesel. If there had not been that incentive then the diesel would have never been developed to the point where people in the EU now choose to buy diesel even on sporty luxury sedans.
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Europeans were driving diesel well before there was any refinement or tax credit. I call BS, since there weren't any "incentives" prior to 1989 that I am aware of. And diesels were common then as well.
Also the "premium" on diesel is an artificial creation.
1. Auto makers keep shortening production cycles and model year changes to make the public buy more often, this is NOT benificial to society, longer runs would reduce cost of production, improve reliability, reduce repair costs and the list goes on.
2. Auto makers developed the attitude of the american public to suite their bottom line over many years of advertising, surprizingly Japanese regularly drive in a hypermiling way (slowly) without massive backlash, culturally their government and authority figures promote saving, a foreign concept here except during WWII.
3. Diesels in american face unique laws, most environmental laws (not all) are written ver-betum from a large special interest, auto companies here play a very large role in laws pertaining to their own product, always have always will. They need to isolate our market and have done so relatively well, no rickshaws or kei cars here.
4. The car buying public EXCLUDES most people on this forum, because the only sale that counts is a NEW car sale. The people who buy new cars tend to not share the same ideals as folks who never buy new cars. This means a large interest is being ignored because of the price divide between folks who buy true used cars and those that only buy new. Those who buy used have had much of their "choice" removed by the car buying public.
5. Due to above auto makers "have" to sell fancier more powerfull diesels that also are more expensive, my lowly 6.2 diesel had a cost of production within 5% of a 454 gas engine. Poor mans diesels are rarely made anymore but that isn't to say they "couldn't" be made either or that they would not be marketable either. Perspectives can change over time.
Our problems are created by our own ignorance and the ease of manipulation, if we were taught differently as folks in japan and other areas of the world are; we would gradually gain a different attitude and the so called impossible would become commonplace.
Sadly its not in the best financial interest of a few to have that happen. A dramatic shift would alienate many special interests from their profit system.