Even though BMW’s well loved Mini is selling well, and the all electric version is selling better than their expectations, Mini can’t get off the dime and bring the diesel version to these shores, even though it’s been available, and selling quite well in the Euro markets. Why? First off, it’s the diesel engine. The current diesel in the Cooper D isn’t deemed clean enough for U.S. emissions regulations. Initially Mini suggested a modified version of the Cooper D could make the trip to America, company spokesmen now say it might have to wait until the next-gen clean-burning diesel can be developed for the MINI.
Drat! But I can see the engineering conundrum that Mini, and by extension, BMW face. Sure, BMW has a whole bunch of really nice diesels, and all of the modern ones burn very clean, but all you have to do is look in the engine bay of a 5 series Beemer, and into the shoe box they use for the engine compartment in a Mini and you know there’s going to be fitment issues up the kazoo. And remember, diesels are bulky little mills to begin with.
Another problem facing the Mini D (And all other diesels in the U.S.) is the price of diesel fuel which, for reasons beyond me, is kept artificially high via taxation.
Mini has a rationalization about this, of course. They point out that the price difference between premium gasoline their vehicles require and ordinary diesel is actually quite a bit more manageable. Also folding into the personal auto balance sheet is the operating cost of the Mini D. Those little brutes get SIXTY miles per gallon according to tests run in the U.S. by Bosch, so even though the fuel is spendy, owning one overall is not.
Source: AutoBlogGreen
I totally agree. As more alternative fuels and propulsion types are developed, our use of fossil fuels should decrease. Diesel’s high energy content is one way of using less fuel and is more available than in years past. With the ultra-low sulphur diesel fuels, the new generation of diesel engines (VW TDI, M-B BlueTEC) burn much cleaner and produce less hydrocarbons than most gasoline engines.
Diesel, as a fuel, costs less than gasoline and can prove to be one temporary solution for the United States to become energy independent
Clean Diesel Technology Tour was organized and it will be the biggest event of its kind as it will host a huge number of attendees.