Most Efficient Diesel Engines

Most Efficient Diesel Engines – Achieving Incredible Fuel Economy

Gasoline engines have always been the mainstream source of power for an automobile. The high combustion power of gasoline makes it an ideal fuel to burn and the large supply means that there’s enough to power our economy. A byproduct of gasoline production, diesel, has also seen popularity as a fuel source. However, there were many downsides to a diesel engine from the past, and for that reason they never achieved the same kind of popularity as gasoline engines in North America.

The Downsides of a Diesel Engine

In the past, diesel engines were quite noisy and dirty, they produced clouds of black smoke and the engine itself was not very efficient. They gained massive popularity in Europe due to the inexpensive cost of diesel fuel when compared to gasoline.

In the past, diesel engines were terrific at generating lots of torque. However, they were not very good at generating sufficient horsepower. This kept diesel engines in the rear of most peoples mind, as anyone looking to have any kind of sporty experience with their automobile was forced to look elsewhere.

The amounts of torque generated by diesel engines were sufficient enough that they were ideally suited for trucks and transport vehicles. For many years in North America, the main application for a diesel engine was in a transport vehicle or a tractor trailer. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that diesel engines in cars started to gain popularity in North America with Volkswagen Jetta, Golf, and Passat TDI models.

Today’s Diesel Engines

Automotive manufacturers have spent a lot of time and money matching the technology and capability of diesel engines to gasoline engines. Today, a diesel engine is just as quiet, just as powerful, and much more fuel efficient than a gasoline engine in a similar model vehicle. Companies like Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen have been manufacturing diesel engines for decades and their newest models exemplify fuel efficiency, drivability and convenience.

Modern diesel engines produce ample amounts of torque, sometimes 50% or more over their gasoline counterparts, and recent innovations in turbo charging have allowed modern diesel engines to produce a significant amount of horsepower as well. Recent model introductions from Mercedes and Volkswagen have proudly shown off diesel engines with 200 or more horsepower and 300 or more foot pounds of torque.

The reality is that today’s diesel engines are clean burning, efficient and economical. They also have more than enough gusto to move you throughout your daily commute regardless of how you drive.