U.S. Car Makers Too Fat Too Lazy? A Reader Comments on the VW TDI Story - What the heck is going on?

On December 23, 2005 we published a story that said that VW may be forced to remove the great high fuel mileage TDI models from sale in the U.S. I was sort of pissed by that and added my opinion as a pre-amble to the story as I so often do. As always I asked your opinion of the situation and Mr. Roy Zimmerman sent this response, thanks Roy!.

Letter to Milton Snide from Mr. Roy Zimmerman:

Mr. Snide,

The prospect of Volkswagen being forced to withdraw their TDI models from the American market, due to increased US emissions regulations, further illustrates to me that there may be collusion between the US automakers and American fuel refineries, to influence the US government to change legislation in favor of their product offerings.

The US traditional auto assemblers don't have any current domestic product that can come close to Volkswagen TDI fuel efficiency and obviously feel greatly threatened by the prospect of further deterioration of market share. Albeit, VW has the smallest US market share of any of the major worldwide auto producers.

Could this be construed as paranoia? Perhaps, if US producers had a social conscience, they would soon call on their expertise in European countries and import their own diesel engines from their respective assembly plants in the countries in which they are now sold.

The US diesel emission standards, that are to become effective in 2006, exceed current European standards for diesel engines.

The 2006 US standard is to place America ahead of Europe, in emission standards- from a position of being well behind Europe for the past ten years.

Give me a break; I stopped believing in the Easter Bunny years ago!.

Does anyone with an ounce of common sense believe that American producers will comply with this standard in 2006? It will be by default- they won't have any product to offer; therefore they will be in compliance!!!

In reality, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes all have years of experience with diesel engine technology and obviously have explored this technology more aggressively than have their American counterparts.

If I were an American producer, my sphincter would be shut tight with fear of losing what little market is left. I hate whiners; especially, when they can't deny that they have seen this coming for years; they just directed their energies in the wrong direction- denying the development of diesel technology, playing politics and focusing on the easy answer- more horsepower from conventional gasoline engines, that drink far too mjuch fuel!

And what about the honesty of their reported fuel ratings? There goes the Easter Bunny again!!!

The emissions race will develop regardless of any US regulations that are set. If successful, US assemblers may be able to stave off foreign competitors for a few years; but, they will continue to lose market share worlwide; because, quite simply, they have not kept up with new technology!

Too fat and too lazy for too long; past laurels don't cut it any more!!!