Nissan reconsidering Maxima diesel, U.S. production seems unlikely

Not any more. Honda/Acura has already announced that they will not bring a diesel engine to the US.

Acura's TSX diesel faces indefinite delay - [2009 Acura TSX] - MotorAuthority - Car news, reviews, spy shots

The Honda i-DTEC engine was not able to pass NOx emission standards without the use of urea injection. Honda had not planned to need urea injection and had publicly bragged that there engine would not need it. They didn't design the vehicle with room for a 5 gallon urea tank so the diesel is dead for the US.

 

If Canada introduces the same emissions standards as the US - especially CARB - don't count on it

In a lot of the Mennonite farming communities around here, you can see a transplanted couple from the former East Germany with an early 90's Mercedes or Audi diesel car. No emissions control whatsoever, black clouds of smoke gushing out

 

Honda can meet the NOx emissions with the i-DTEC. It's just that the emissions reduction system is expensive enough that Honda decided against selling the i-DTEC here at this point in time.

Honda to delay Japan, US clean diesel launch-Nikkei | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

 

Honda Delays 60-mpg Diesel Acura TSX | Hybrid Cars

"In addition to cost factors, Honda has been unable to produce the diesel model with an automatic transmission that would pass emissions standards. Honda was not ready to move forward with marketing only a manual model in the American market."

Other factors listed were cost of the catalyst and high price of diesel fuel in US. The key factor is emissions. No luxury car brand is going to only sell a manual in the US when 80% or so of the vehicles sold in this market have automatics.

 

The price of diesel gas right now is slightly greater than premium gas. That cuts into any gas mileage advantage vs conventional cars. Add in the emissions problem, and you have enough to limit the diesel's future.

Hydrogen seems to be the long range option many are talking about. Water is the emissions byproduct. Shorter range, clearly it's battery hybrids and full battery power once the lithium ion battery gets on the market. I just can't see these paradigm shifts happening in the car market without the government taking a bigger role forcing the change. Getting off gasoline is a national security issue.

 

Take it for what it's worth, but xcel talked to some people from Honda who said that the engine did not fail emissions testing. The decision came down to the economics of the fuel and emissions system.