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The car shipping industry is no stranger to diesel fueled engines. In fact, most of the rest of the world runs on diesel power when it comes to cars and, in particular, trucks. But it’s a different story in the U.S. There seems to be resistance in this country to diesels, probably in large part due to the poorly designed U.S. diesel cars and trucks that were sold in the 1970s. Generally speaking, many of these vehicles were loud, smelly, expensive to operate, and hard to start. But that’s no longer the case. Diesel technology has advanced rapidly over the past several years benefiting the car shipping companies, consumer vehicles, and even race cars.
For several years, U.S. automakers in general have avoided manufacturing half-ton diesel trucks because they fear that there would be no market for the vehicles and partly due to the stringent Environmental Protection Agency regulations now in place. Several automakers—including Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen and Mahindra (India)—have all experimented with the idea of building half-ton V6 diesels in the U.S. and several prototypes have been built. But the automakers claim that, partly because of the recession, the potential market is just not big enough to invest in the cost of getting these diesel engines approved.
On the other hand, consider the advantages to a half-ton V6 diesel pickup:
- It’s the perfect “compromise” vehicle—with the power of a much larger truck AND the creature comforts of a passenger car
- A half-ton truck is easy to maneuver in traffic and fits into most parking spaces easily, unlike larger-size trucks
- The bed of a half-ton truck can easily hold nearly anything a larger-size truck can hold, making it a great utility vehicle
- For their size, diesel engines have a lot more torque than gasoline engines and will out pull them every time—a half-ton diesel V6 will have no problem pulling a good-sized RV or a boat
- The diesel engine is typically 30% more fuel efficient than a gasoline engine
- The half-ton truck would be perfect for any family member to drive—it’s no more of a challenge than driving a standard-sized SUV
- The diesel engine will outlast a gasoline engine by a lot—many diesel engines make it to 500,000 miles and beyond
Automakers may be missing out on a great opportunity. The half-ton V6 diesel truck would be truly a “do-everything” vehicle and it wouldn’t be as expensive as the higher-priced larger diesels. All things considered, it’s just what America needs.
About the author:
Adam Brandon writes for Leonard’s Garage & Service Center, an auto repair shop in Austin TX that services all makes and models of cars and motorcycles. For more information, contact them at Leonard’s Garage & Service Center, 4401 South 1st Street, Austin, TX, 78745, Phone: (512) 445-2892.
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