Deliberating Diesel: Environmental, Technical, and Social Factors Affecting Diesel Passenger Vehicle Prospects in the United States

James Kliesch and Therese Langer

September 2003

Executive Summary

In 2002, less than one-half of one percent of cars sold in the United States was diesel vehicles, and there were no light-duty diesel trucks produced. This is in large part a legacy of the 1970s and 1980s, when light-duty diesels appeared in substantial numbers and were plagued by poor performance, unreliability, noxious exhaust, and high noise levels. Manufacturers have come a long way in addressing these shortcomings in recent years, however, and diesels can offer fuel economy and performance advantages over gasoline vehicles. In Europe, diesels now capture 40 percent of the passenger vehicle market. This report investigates the prospects for re-growth of diesel's share in the U.S. light-duty market.

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48pp., 2003, $25.00, T032