HALF the cars sold in Europe are powered by diesel engines, a stark contrast to the situation in the US, where the fuel is used almost exclusively by big rigs whose drivers referto one another as “good buddy,” and communicate by way of numbers preceded by “10.” But now, after many false starts, diesel cars are gaining traction in the country, with the shift fueled largely by
German carmakers—including Volkswagen, which recently openeda plant in Tennessee.
Diesel auto sales in the US revved higher this year, thanks to some temporary factors, including a shortage of hybrid cars because of disruptions from the Japanese earthquake disaster. American consumers bought an estimated 9,000 diesel cars in May, up 34 percent from a year earlier, according to the research firm Baum & Associates. Some analysts say the long-term view is getting better as well for diesel, whose image has been tarnished by concerns about smelly cars and poor availability of diesel fuel outside the truck sector.