A recent study reveals that of over 100 cars manufactured in the world which acheive 40 miles-per-gallon or better, only two (!) are available in America: the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid.
The full list of cars reveals the disturbing fact that “nearly two thirds of the 113 highly fuel-efficient car models that are unavailable to American consumers are either made by U.S. auto manufacturers (e.g., Ford and
GM) or foreign manufacturers with substantial U.S. sales operations (e.g., Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota). The full list of cars can be found here.
What you’ll probably notice is that the vast majority of the cars in the list are diesel-fueled, and acheive equal, if not better results, than the much touted hybrids. Why are these fuel efficient and environmentally friendly cars not available in the USA? Because the US has been slow in adopting the ULSD (Ultra-Low-Sulfur-Diesel) standard which has been prevalent for some time in the EU, and which, liter for liter, is less of a pollutant than regular gasoline. No wonder sales of diesel automobiles are booming in Europe. It is estimated that 60% of cars in France run on diesel.
How does Israel fit into the picture? We’ve spoken about the excise tax of 2.20 NIS per-liter (בלו) leveled on regular petrol. As an incentive to encourage use of diesel, the government cuts the excise tax on diesel such that it always remains cheaper than petrol. Ever wonder why Israeli taxis are Mercedes and VW? It’s not reparations from the Germans. (Any cab driver will laugh when confronted with this question, frequently propounded by US tourists.) It’s because the German auto-makers, for many years, were the only manufacturers to install diesel engines in passenger cars, which because of their fuel efficiency, make the most sense for a taxi. Now that more auto-makers have entered the diesel market (just browse through the list), there is a little more diversity in the Israeli cab scene with Skoda, SEAT, and even the occasional Volvo S40 diesel. Here is a great chart which lists which brands of cars are driven by Israeli cab drivers.
Hybrid cars are a tremendous step in the right direction for both minimizing damage to the environment and reducing oil dependency. Until hybrids dominate the market, though, using clean diesel is the next best thing.
