Ford’s 62 MPG Cars - For European Eyes Only

Posted on December 11, 2009
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By Lauren Ellis

The quintessential American automaker Ford Motors just rolled out two versions of its fuel economy friendly Fiesta ECOnetic model: one for American markets, the other for Europeans. The American version gets 30 mpg city, 40 mpg highway - a vehicle on track with American emissions standards. Compare that to the European version, which gets an astounding 62 mpg and emits only 99 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

The big question on the American consumer’s mind is probably, “Why doesn’t Ford sell those cars here? It’s an American company! How is it that we don’t have access to better fuel-economy vehicles?”

Here’s the catch: the Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel. Widely used in the European Union, clean diesel is a fuel source with lower sulfur content that creates higher fuel content, increasing both engine efficiency and fuel economy. There are noticeable benefits to clean diesel: the United States could save 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, roughly the amount imported daily from Saudi Arabia. Amidst the dirty word connotations behind diesel, there really isn’t a market for the fuel in the United States. States have imposed a tax on diesel, making it much higher when compared to gasoline. That dip in market demand has resulted in a decrease in funding and infrastructure development.

Despite its mucky reputation, clean diesel, when properly used, turns out to be a much more efficient and effective fuel source than gasoline. Clean diesel fuel vehicles are 30% more fuel-efficient than those powered by gasoline, not to mention offer a much higher reduction in total green house gas emissions. So should we make the switch? It seems unlikely that consumers would choose the diesel powered Focus over the hybrid Prius at this stage, even though the Fiesta is greener and more efficient than the hybrids we all adore. Those who claim fuel efficiency technology “hasn’t arrived yet” are not paying attention: the technology is here. What’s left are the crucial public policy choices that government and the masses need to make. Clean diesel is certainly an oxymoron, but its presence can’t be ignored for much longer. With enough inertia, what was once thought of as an old-hat, industrial fuel might become the fuel of the future.

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