The Evolution Of The Diesel Engine

The talk about finding new alternative energy sourcesin their cars for many years now and in Europe more
for our cars is not new. In fact, scientists and carthen half of the cars sold are diesel powered.
engineers had begun finding ways to either use energyManufacturers like Volkswagen, Mercedes or BMW
sources, or to optimize existing engine solutions back inare selling their large limousines mostly with diesel
the 1970's.engines, for their power efficiency and cost savings
People saw that big engines were very inefficient andwhen it comes to mileage. However, not only large
they started looking for new solutions. The answer tocars have been fitted with diesel engines in Europe, but
the large gasoline engines were rather small, turboalso sports cars. Audi, for example, is producing a
powered diesel engines.500-horse power sports car fitted with a V12 diesel
Until then diesel engines have been used mainly onengine. In addition, they claim this engine to be more
heavy-duty machinery and large trucks, but scientistspowerful, greener and more efficient than its gasoline
began to install them on small cars for their fuelcounterpart does.
efficiency and cost savings.Car manufacturers, especially in Europe and Japan,
Diesels are still considered by some people as noisy,have been fitting large SUVs and 4x4 with diesel
unreliable and expensive to maintain, but things haveengines mostly for decades now. Fitting a gasoline
evolved greatly since the early days of the dieselengine on a large 4x4 would mean that its mileage
engine. General Motors was among the firstwould be extremely bad and its taxes would
companies to fit diesel engines to cars like Chevroletovercome its owner.
Caprice and the Oldsmobile, but these engines wereHowever, modern diesel engines are very powerful
shaky and very unreliable. GM soon admitted they hadand a lot more reliable than they have been 20 or 30
been doing things wrong and re-fitted those cars withyears ago. Car manufacturers all over the world offer
normal gasoline engines. It was a large image hit andthe same warranty for its diesel-powered cars like
that is why consumers are still very reluctant to buyingthey do on their gasoline cars and this proves that
a diesel-powered car today.modern diesel engines have the same reliability as
Diesel engines also cause a bit more pollutant thangasoline engines have.
comparative gasoline engines and with the taxes onIn most countries, the cost of the diesel fuel is lower
polluting cars growing every year, no body wants tothan the price for gasoline and this combined with the
pay more taxes for their car if they can buy abetter mileage of diesel-powered cars means
gasoline engine car and pay less from the start.significant money savings.
Car companies also have looked at how they canAmerican car manufacturers are looking into installing
optimize power output of modern diesels and howdiesel engines in their cars and it is only a matter of
these engines can be made greener and they havetime until you will be able to buy your favorite car with
came out with modern solutions.a diesel engine.
European car makers have been putting diesel engines