Diesel engines may still have a future at Toyota, in some markets at least. In a recent interview with Australian publication Drive, Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss said diesel is "not going to die off anytime soon," adding that it remains viable as part of hybrid powertrains, "particularly for heavy vehicles." That likely won't be the... Toyota says diesels aren’t dead, might pair with hybrid tech
Diesel engines may still have a future at Toyota, in some markets at least. In a recent interview with Australian publication Drive, Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss said diesel is "not going to die off anytime soon," adding that it remains viable as part of hybrid powertrains, "particularly for heavy vehicles." That likely won't be the...
The EPA this week announced $1 million in fines for a diesel performance parts manufacturer for tampering with emissions devices. Sinister Mfg. Company, Inc.—doing business as Sinister Diesel—pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and defraud the United States, and with violating the Clean Air Act by...
Seven years after the Volkswagen diesel scandal began, emissions "defeat devices" are still a problem, but it's mostly aftermarket companies that are drawing the attention of regulators. The EPA recently announced the levying of millions of dollars in fines against one company, and potential fines for another, for selling equipment designed to...
A lawsuit from an industry group, challenging California’s Omnibus standard for heavy-duty trucks and vans aimed at dramatically cutting emissions, was dropped last week. The challenge came from the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA), an industry group representing a long list of vehicle makers, including Ford, GM, Honda...
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, part of the Stellantis group, was sentenced Monday to pay a U.S. $300 million criminal penalty over diesel engines that polluted more than they were allowed by regulations. The Detroit federal court's decision is a result of a Justice Department investigation and includes a fine of $96.1 million and a forfeiture of...
Europe's largest truckmakers have committed to phasing out diesel trucks by 2040, a decade earlier than originally planned, the Financial Times reported this week. Seven manufacturers—Daimler, Scania, MAN, Volvo, DAF, IVECO, and Ford—signed an agreement to transition to zero-emission vehicles under the auspices of the ACEA...
Over the past week, charging attempts for electric-vehicle drivers in California might have been thwarted—and everyday life interrupted—by rolling blackouts in some parts of the state. Those were due, governor Gavin Newsom said Monday, to some "gaps" in reliability amid the state's transition to renewable energy. The blackouts not only...
As Mercedes-Benz takes tentative steps toward an electrified future, it will first exorcise a ghost from its diesel-powered past. On Thursday, the automaker announced that it will pay $2.2 billion to settle a diesel-emissions cheating scandal in the United States. The settlement addresses claims involving emissions-control systems on 250,000...
Sometimes, the spotlight can have drawbacks. A federal judge has ordered the stars of the Discovery Channel show Diesel Brothers to pay an $851,451 fine for air pollution, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. David "Heavy D" Sparks and David "Diesel Dave" Kiley, along with other defendants in the case, run a Utah-based shop that modifies diesel...
The 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited EcoDiesel is the model that serious Jeep enthusiasts have been wanting for decades. Suddenly those considering the iconic model have a bevy of choices. There’s never been a diesel Wrangler, and it’s out at dealerships about now. There’s never been a plug-in hybrid Wrangler either, and that’s...
On Thursday, VW unveiled its eighth-generation Golf for the 45th year of the venerable nameplate, and one of the most prolific nameplates on the planet to usher the small car into its sixth decade of production. Although the car will be sold in nearly every corner of the world, equipped with one of eight powertrains, it won't make its way to the...
With the first factory-produced full-size electric pickup trucks still under development, the most fuel-efficient full-size pickups on sale from an automaker are powered by diesel fuel. At Fiat Chrysler Automobile dealerships, that’s the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. Although official EPA numbers remain pending as we write this, the diesel is expected...
We’ve all seen it while following big rigs: Clouds of sooty smoke coming from a single truck, prompted by an uphill grade, a passing maneuver, or sometimes seemingly nothing at all. How can that be legal? It might not be legal, but it underscores a current loophole in U.S. emissions for larger (Class 4-8) trucks: There’s no mechanism...
Fuel economy matters in pickups. General Motors announced new EPA fuel economy ratings Thursday for its 2020 Chevrolet Silverado light-duty pickup powered by its new 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel will rate 23 mpg city, 33 highway for two-wheel drive models with a 10-speed automatic transmission, Chevy said...
Fuel economy in pickups matters. And General Motors just announced record-setting new EPA fuel economy ratings for its new 2020 Chevrolet Silverado light-duty pickup powered by its new 3.0-liter inline-6 turbodiesel. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 diesel is rated at 23 mpg city, 33 highway, and 27 mpg combined for two-wheel drive models with the...
A longtime reader and plug-in car owner lays out an effective roadmap for going solar. Tesla and Electrify America reach an agreement to install Tesla stationary battery storage at some EA DC fast-charge stations. Mercedes-Benz joins the ranks of automakers whose diesel engines are involved in a class-action lawsuit. And Green Car Reports has seen...
A newly formed organization called Allow Independent Road-testing (AIR) wants to make impartial emissions ratings available to vehicle shoppers. Using a simple rating from A (best) to H (worst), they would tell you, at a quick glance, how much you’re endangering the health of your family with tailpipe pollutants. Although the idea may seem...