[grn04]

I found this article online - toyota is not optimistic about disels. I guess they have such a big lead with hybrids that they dont think diesels are good

Fugheddabout diesel engines for anything other than the Tundra pickup, says Toyota Motor Executive Vice President Kazuo Okamoto, who's in charge of, among other things, Toyota's Vehicle Engineering Group.

This, despite assertive plans by rivals Honda and Nissan to deploy diesel-powered variants of their mainstream Maxima (2009) and Accord (2010) sedans.

If it is to launch diesel engines for the U.S., the only product that appears to make a business case is the Tundra, said Toyota executives. Toyota had long been known to be interested in launching a diesel-powered Tundra to compete with highly profitable, heavy-duty versions of Detroit Three pickups, but some sources now suggest Toyota may be reassessing those plans. Nonetheless, Toyota says development of a diesel-powered Tundra is "completed."

Toyota says given the strict emissions regulations in the U.S., the company doesn't like the prospects for diesel-powered mainstream vehicles because the emissions systems that will be required to make diesels emissions-compliant in all 50 states will add plenty of cost to those vehicles. A cost, Toyota thinks, customers may not be willing to bear.

Also a factor, no doubt: the enormous investment Toyota has in hybrid-electric vehicle technology.

"We are really focused on the hybrid," for the U.S. passenger-car market, said Okamoto at a presentation here for journalists and the financial community. He added, however, that Toyota will watch the situation carefully in the event that customer tastes "shift."

Or, perhaps, if Honda and Nissan start selling a bunch of diesel Accords and Maximas?

What this means to you: If you want a diesel-powered car in the next couple of years, you don't have to bother looking at the Toyota store.

 

[Guest]

Don't they already have diesels in the world market?

Hmmmm. Customer tastes haven't shifted, they aren't there in the diesel market.

 

[Guest]

I still don't get how they think that because the Euro market is already 50% diesel. It's probably because they are known as the hybrid maker.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Easy, because they are known for hybrids, not diesel in the US. Even there are greener companies, they have green capital that they can't afford to risk. Toyota is known for being a conservative company.

 

[Vent5]

Toyota says given the strict emissions regulations in the U.S., the company doesn't like the prospects for diesel-powered mainstream vehicles because the emissions systems that will be required to make diesels emissions-compliant in all 50 states will add plenty of cost to those vehicles. A cost, Toyota thinks, customers may not be willing to bear.

Also a factor, no doubt: the enormous investment Toyota has in hybrid-electric vehicle technology.

"We are really focused on the hybrid," for the U.S. passenger-car market, said Okamoto at a presentation here for journalists and the financial community. He added, however, that Toyota will watch the situation carefully in the event that customer tastes "shift."

VW has prety much had the cheap diesel car market to themselves in the US . Customers are willing to bear the cost, it's already been shown.

They already have hybrid variants in many of their models or planned, they don't think there's a market for diesels? BS, it's their investment.

 

[Guest]

Who knows if the market can actually support 3 diesel makers: VW, Honda, and X? I think the diesel market share will go up as the makers actually offer more car to sell, the main problem is that people don't know about diesel.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Like I said, they can't afford it. They have staked their image on the hybrid and on the hybrid being green.

If they put their money on diesel, they might get even more flak over emissions. And why stock 2x the technology, parts, options? It'll cost them more and they are doing plenty well with hybrid tech.

The reason Honda is willing to risk new tech is because their hybrids have not sold well in comparison to toyota's.

 

[MAXRPM]

Yes, you are right, a lot of people here in the states, do not know jack about how good diesel are, the rest of the countries do, because they get diesel from Toyotas, Audi etc. you name it, they have it. But when it comes to the U.S, if you mention to somebody, my car is a Diesel, all they think is, the car must be noisy, and they always say I didn't know that they still make diesels in the US, so basically their mentality is nill.


Too bad that Toyota is not planning to bring Diesel cars to the US, even though I am hooked to my VW TDI, I believe it would be hard for me to make the switch, but in the other hand, it would be nice to have more options with Diesel cars here in the US.