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ReprintsVW expects big diesel share in U.S.
LUCA CIFERRI
Automotive News Europe
May 19, 2008 17:54 CET
About 30 percent of Volkswagen's U.S. sales could be diesels by 2018, Wolfgang Steiger, VW's director of powertrain research, said. Rising fuel prices are making diesels more attractive to U.S. car buyers, Steiger told the Automotive News Europe Congress in Turin. Steiger said VW's diesel share in the U.S. could reach 30 percent in 10 years. "We used to be the leader of diesel sales in the U.S.," Steiger said. Before VW stopped selling diesel cars in the U.S. last year to comply with stricter US emission standards for diesels, 15 percent of the carmaker's U.S. sales were diesels. "Returning this year with clean diesels in 50 U.S. States, we will immediately regain the 15 percent share," Steiger said. U.S. consumers have not bought diesel cars in large numbers in the past because many consider diesels to be dirty and underpowered. Last year, diesels accounted for about 3 percent of US vehicle sales, according to market researcher R. L. Polk & Co. In Europe, 53.3 percent of new-car buyers chose diesels last year, according to ACEA, the European automakers' association. |
You can reach LUCA CIFERRI at lciferri@craincom.de.
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