On the first of the year, Germany introduced Super E10 biofuel, which is gasoline that is 10% ethanol. Even before the first tank was filled, the matter was the subject of great debate. The new fuel uses twice as much ethanol as the old Super E5 biofuel and the wheat, corn, and sugar cane used […]
Travelers, when visiting interesting destinations, frequently bring home a souvenir or two for friends and family members. This past December I was finally able to bring home a diesel-powered automobile, namely a BMW 335d, Until recently, picking up a diesel as part of a European Delivery program simply wasn’t possible in recent years. Today, two […]
2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI Volkswagen released financial results for October 2014. The company’s total sales were up 7.8% from October 2013, selling 30,313 units as compared to 28.219 from the previous year. Just like in September, sales for the all-new Golf saw the biggest increase in sales from the previous October, rising 101.1%. The company […]
Editor’s note: this is the second in a series of interviews with executives at automakers that offer diesel-powered automobiles in the United States. Volkswagen Passat TDI, selling like fireworks Volkswagen has offered diesel-powered vehicles in the U.S. for decades and in the last few years it has offered TDI engines in more models than ever […]
Tag! You’re it! Without much fanfare, BMW has added geotagging and social networking capabilities to its cars that allows drivers to geotag their location with a few clicks in iDrive and share it with friends via e-mail. If a route has been entered into the car’s navigation system, the destination will be sent in the […]
A diesel-powered BMW was the winner of the 1998 24 Hours Nürburgring, a GT and touring car endurance race. The winning car was a BMW 320d (internal code E36) equipped with Robert Bosch’s diesel Common Rail System high-pressure diesel injection technology. The BMW’s low fuel consumption and resultant long range, which permitted four hours of […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will continue to require gasoline refiners to blend more ethanol into the nation’s gasoline supply but the increase will be far lower than the target set by Congress in 2007. In 2016, refiners will be required to blend 18.11 billion gallons of renewable fuels, an increase from the agency’s 17.4 […]
The last Ford Fiesta rolled off the production line Friday at the automaker’s plant in Cologne, Germany, marking the end of an era during which some 22 million of the model were sold. The final two Fiestas that were manufactured will remain in Ford’s custody. One will become part of the … In what could […]
The Green Car Driver, formerly The Diesel Driver, focuses on the experience of owning and driving a fuel-efficient automobile, including electric vehicles, hybrid plug-ins, hybrids, and diesels. Our writers, members of the International Motor Press Association and the Travel Writers Alliance, not only present news, in-depth reviews, road tests, and updates about those cars available in […]
U.S. diesel prices jumped 4.6% in the past four weeks and experts predict they will continue to climb higher as oil refineries in the Northeast and elsewhere shut down. The average price on February 13, 2012 in the U.S. was $3.943, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As of March 12, the most recent […]
There are only a few days left for readers to vote for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year. Cars from four companies, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, are in the running. Nominees include seven passenger cars; the Audi A3 TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, the Volkswagen Golf TDI, the Volkswagen […]
Voting for the 2012 Diesel Car of the Year has started. Four companies, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, currently offer diesel passenger cars in the U.S. This year’s stellar field of nominees includes seven passenger cars; the Audi A3 TDI, the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec, the Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, the Volkswagen Golf TDI, the Volkswagen Jetta […]
There are only two weeks left to vote for your pick for the 2013 Diesel Car of the Year and the 2013 Diesel Car Manufacturer of the Year. Cars from five automakers are in the running: Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen. This year’s stellar field of nominees includes eight passenger cars; the Audi A3 […]
2014 BMW 535d This is a review that I first started to write several years ago, when the BMW 335d was my daily driver. As much as I loved that car, my imagination went wild and I longed for the larger, more luxurious 5 Series as a diesel. The BMW 335d was half of the […]