Additional fuel efficient VW models: USA vs. German availability

Kris visited me last month and wrote this blog entry some of you may find interesting

• http://blog.koehntopp.de/archives/1684-guid.html

-Gary (Santa Cruz, CA)

P.S. If you want to add a comment or question on his website, this will help you navigate the German instructions:

1. add your name
2. email & homepage are optional (but you might link here to get new visitors)
3. "Antwort zu" means "reply to" - leaving as default should work (if not, pick reply #1)
4. "Hier die Zeichenfolge..." - enter the magic characters (bot protection)
5. That's it! "Vorschau" means preview; or just commit with "Kommentar abschicken"

Thanks! 2 things to note:

1. Americans, in general, don't like "small" cars like VW Lupo or Polo. (WHY?!?!?!)
2. Those cars get good "diesel" milage, and satisfy Euro 4, but diesel quality in U.S. is worse than that in Europe. (WHY?!?!??!?!)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcsj @ May 9 2007, 10:58 AM) [snapback]438428[/snapback]</div>

Isn't Euro 4 way out-of-date by now?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcsj @ May 9 2007, 11:58 AM) [snapback]438428[/snapback]</div>

It's the sulfur; but his information is out of date.

Ultra-low sulfur diesel

EPA - Diesel Fuel

Transition to ULSD fuel

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ May 9 2007, 04:24 PM) [snapback]438498[/snapback]</div>

Even with ULSD the Europeans have better quality diesel. European diesel is 5 ppm and has been so for at least 10 years. Germans and Czechs have B20 biodiesel available at almost all their stations as well.

ULSD will not be mandated to be available in all markets in all states until December of 2010. I have a diesel TDI and in the year that ULSD has supposedly been available I have only fueled up with it once. The stations in my area do not carry ULSD. If I purchased a 2008 vehicle that required ULSD I would be very limited on were I could purchase fuel.