2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel Lauded by Biodiesel Board
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The National Biodiesel Board has high praise for General Motors Co. and the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze light-duty diesel passenger car. The vehicle is approved for use with 20% biodiesel blends (B20).
"We applaud General Motors for its foresight in approving the new diesel Chevy Cruze for use with B20 biodiesel blends," said Steve Howell, technical director for the board. "Many people do not realize that today's new technology diesel engines powered by ultra-low sulfur biodiesel blends provide tailpipe emissions as clean or cleaner than natural gas or gasoline, while providing superior fuel economy, horsepower, and durability. In addition, when you combine the increased efficiency diesel engines with the low carbon nature of an advanced biofuel like biodiesel, new technology diesel engines are positioned to become the clean -- and green -- technology of the future, and we're proud to see GM leading the way with its support for B20."
The all-new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel features an advanced 2.0L clean diesel engine that will offer an estimated 42 mpg highway with an automatic transmission and expected best-in-segment range based on GM testing. Clean diesels using modern diesel exhaust technology and ultra-low sulfur fuel are more than 90% cleaner than older models. The Chevy Cruze is the cleanest diesel passenger car model ever produced by General Motors, and with approval for use with clean, renewable B20 biodiesel blends, it's also now the greenest, Howell said.
The Cruze's 2.0L turbo-diesel is based on proven architecture already used in European models where roughly 40% of all Cruze models sold feature a diesel engine. Collaborating with German and Italian engineering groups, GM's diesel experts in the United States adapted the engine to accommodate more stringent diesel emission standards and a wider range of driving conditions -- including colder climates and higher altitudes -- for the United States and Canada.
“This Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel represents a new era in diesel performance for American cars,” said Jens Wartha, GM chief engineer. "We've adapted a proven engine from Europe, the world's passenger diesel capital, and married it with the emissions-reducing technology that was perfected in the United States."
The starting suggested retail price for the diesel Chevy Cruze is reported to be $25,695, and GM plans to sell the model in markets where its B20-approved Chevrolet Silverado diesel models have done well, including the West Coast, Greater Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the East Coast. The 2014 Cruze is expected to move into production later this summer.
Meanwhile, a bumper crop of new 2013 clean diesel vehicles are beginning to arrive in dealership showrooms nationwide, including more new B20-approved vehicles from domestic automakers Ford and Chrysler. More than 33 light- and medium-duty diesel passenger cars and trucks, as well as heavy-duty diesel models from nearly 20 brands, will be available in the market this year.
Biodiesel is an advanced biofuel made from sustainable resources such as soybean oil, recycled cooking oil and other fats and oils. It is the first and only U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-designated advanced biofuel produced on a commercial scale across the country, Howell said.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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