Mercedes-Benz Diesel May Cure Sticker Shock at the Pump

[midnight armadillo]

(press release)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-27-2006/0004349780&EDATE=
Full-Size Luxury Sedan Achieves 37 MPG and Up to 780 Miles Per Tank

MONTVALE, N.J., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you get sticker shock at
every gas pump, but don't want to sacrifice your people- and cargo-carrying
space? Are you now resigned to ever-higher fuel prices, but not ready to
take the hybrid plunge? Mercedes-Benz, the company that invented the diesel
passenger car, suggests that the time is right to consider a switch to new
clean diesel technology.
Here's what still seems to be a well-kept secret -- the latest CDI
(Common-rail Direct Injection) diesel engines offer 20-40 percent better
fuel mileage as well as long range between fill-ups and powerful
acceleration. Most of today's diesels utilize state-of-the-art engine
technologies making them among the cleanest, quietest and most powerful
engines on the road.

(here's the neat part)
BLUETEC -- Diesel for the Future
Also scheduled to make its world retail debut in Fall 2006,
Mercedes-Benz BLUETEC technology combines sophisticated engine design with
a special exhaust after-treatment system to offer the cleanest diesel
technology in the world. The E320 BLUETEC incorporates an oxidizing
catalytic converter, a particulate filter, an advanced "denox" storage
converter and a SCR catalytic converter.
To meet even more stringent emission requirements, the BLUETEC system
could also be equipped with another innovation -- AdBlue injection. When
AdBlue, a water-based urea solution, is injected into pre-cleaned exhaust
gas, ammonia is released, converting nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen
in a downstream SCR catalytic converter. Called SCR for Selective Catalyst
Reduction, this process creates the most effective method of exhaust gas
after-treatment currently available.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Diesel?

Deja vu

[Warpy]

2. Yeah, you can avoid sticker shock at the pump

if you're rich enough to afford the sticker shock in the showroom.

[msongs]

3. diesel is MORE expensive than regular gas around here so

you have to have much higher mpg to justify it.

read about the pt cruisers in England that have diesel options not available in the USA, and english versions
get about 7 mpg more than the US gas versions.

Msongs
www.msongs.com
batik & digital art
mugs and shirts

[doc03]

4. If I could afford a Mercedes-Benz I wouldn't

be concerned about the cost of fuel. From what I have read the Mercedes has worse reliability problems than American cars today in addition to that it costs 3 times as much for repairs.

[papau]

5. A water-based urea solution is injected into pre-cleaned exhaust?

So air polution needs only more piss?

:-)

[Clark2008]

6. Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?

[dipsydoodle]

7. You don't need a Merc

to get a common rail cdti diesel engine. Since Jan. 1st only high efficiency euro4 diesel engined cars can be registered in the EEC. There were a few temporary exemptions for some of the manufacturers SUVs etc. I've got a Honda CRV 2.2 cdti Sport. Not sure if the diesel CRV is sold your side or not. It does about 400 miles, just general running around ,on a full tank. The question is - are the cdti engines used your side at all ? It's always seemed to me that you have a general dislike of small and medium size diesel family saloons and hatchbacks. There's certainly a noticeable absense of Renaults, Citroens and Peugeots - it's those manaufacturers who seem to have the highest sales of diesels here. You might possibly be not too fond of the French but as your fuel increase such sensitivities might fall by the wayside.

[papau]

8. Major problem with diesel in New England/Ski Area is fuel turning to gel

many a diesel car in Vermont has been towed because it died on the interstate with a half- full tank and the temp at 0 to 40F below and the fuel line flow had stopped. I believe most of the EU is spared such temps.

But, hey, with Global Warming, the New England area might find more sking at 5C below rather than 40C below (I believe 40 C below is the same as 40F below).

By the way at 5 to 10F below the snow sounds like metal on metal as you you step on it as you walk around - rather neat!. Even when I thought I was fit (and I was much younger), I still did not ski when the temps dropped below 15F below - :-)

[dipsydoodle]

11. I accept that our temperatures

don't go as low as yours but aside from that our diesel has got low temp additives anyway.
I changed over to diesel only because of the way in which we are taxed on the personal benefit of cars we run through a company. I've only managed to fill up with petrol twice so far !

By the way - it doesn't quite follow that with global warming you will have warmer winters.
You might just find that the opposite occurs in New England whilst other States say "Hello dustbowl ! We really missed you - NOT ! "

[papau]

12. true as to global warming effect-I hope we can mitigate it. And biodiesel

is indeed is indeed a major part of the answer.

When I moved to Vermont was the first time that I experienced a brand new fully charged battery being unable to start the car because it was 40 below. Likewise it was the first time I heard a Mercedes-Benz dealer advise against diesel because of the gel problem.

Now with sking out of my system, so to speak, a diesel sounds like a great idea!

That makes my ideal car a plug-in hybrid with either diesel or an E85 "gas" engine.

:-)

[midnight armadillo]

9. Not available here

Diesels fell out of favor here in the early 80's, and emissions requirements and lack of low-sulfur fuel until this year made it very difficult to sell diesels in cars. VW managed, but they can't sell new ones in California or other states (like Mass.) that follow the CA air quality laws.

I'd jump at the chance for a diesel Peugeot, they make some pretty nice looking cars.

The urea injection technology and new low sulfur fuel will probably lead to a new renaissance for diesel engines in the US.

[dipsydoodle]

10. The CO2 ratings

which are how ours are meausured are far below those with which you may be familiar. Some small hatchback diesels are down to 120g/km. Yes the Peugeot 307 Coupe/Cabriolet with a retractable hardtop is a real stunner . Have look : http://www.peugeot.co.uk/ppp/cgi-bin/ppkfcwebuk/ppplpindex.jsp

[Bamboo]

13. Put a tiger in your tank.

Common-rail injection and particulate treatment are not new,London taxis have Ford engines using this technology.

http://www.jonfry.com/2005/08/diesel-particulate-filter.html

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=10390

Gasoline is more profitable than diesel when people pay more for premium grade which the motor does not need.There is just one grade of diesel and no opportunity to "upsell" the customer.

If Mercedes-Benz wants to cure sticker shock at the pump they should sell the diesel SMART in America,it is now sold in Canada.The MB E320 and the SMART share the same diesel technology.

http://www.thesmart.ca/index.cfm?id=4807

http://www.threepointmotors.com/inventory/inventory.aspx?t=9

[dipsydoodle]

14. Smart cars

are not too funny on an icey roads . Most roads have got a camber - Smart cars have a nasty habit of sliding to the side of the road on ice. The greater the camber the faster the slide.

For the benifit of anyone who don't know what a Smart is - it's a joint venture between Smart watches and Mercedes Benz. There is enough room in them for two passengers and the all important packet of M&Ms.