If you look at the EPA Emission Standard for the diesel vs. hybrid cars you will find that the diesel car emits up to 10-times as much smog-forming pollutants, in spite of equivalent fuel economy. The same problem is apparent with heavy duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, buses, waste-collection vehicles, etc.

Heavy duty diesel vehicles account for only 2 percent of the vehicles on the road, and 6 percent of the miles driven, but put out up to 75 percent of the smog-forming pollutants. New standards and technology will take care of that, improving fuel economy while reducing smog-forming emissions by 95 percent. The same standards also call for a low-sulfur diesel fuel which is essential for the new technology to work effectively. In California these new standards will be implemented over the next 10 years.

Green Diesel Technology

This new technology would bring back the diesel car in a big way, adding only 3-percent to the overall cost of an already-cheaper vehicle. It could also double or triple the life of oil reserves, which are expected to become scarce within 15 years.