One-third of all new cars sold in Europe are diesel powered, and that number is climbing. European consumers and taxi owners flock to new advanced-technology diesel to get better fuel efficiency, more power, and more durability. Few Americans are aware of the recent technological advances that have markedly improved the diesels engine’s performance and reduced emissions.

In Europe, diesel power dominates the taxi markets and continues to gain market share in the prestigious luxury vehicle sector with models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, SAAB, and Volvo offering high levels of performance, refinement and reliability.

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Diesels hold significant inherent performance advantages over gasoline engines in fuel efficiency, power, durability and certain emissions. Diesel’s superiority in these areas has made it the overwhelming choice for most heavy-duty engine applications worldwide, including in the United States. The same performance characteristics that lie behind diesel’s dominance in the heavy-duty sector lay the foundation for diesel’s light-duty popularity in Europe.

Light-duty diesels use 20-25% less fuel than gasoline engines of similar power, depending on the type of vehicle and driving conditions.The model year 2002/2003, London Taxi will achieve 25–27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 – 34 miles per gallon on the highway. More...

Diesels produce more drive force (torque) at lower engine speeds than gasoline engines. This superior drive force is the result of the diesel engine combustion process, known as “compression ignition.”

Diesel engines are generally more durable than spark ignition engines. Light-duty diesel engines, when properly maintained and treated well, generally last well over 500,000 miles. Maintenance intervals are also generally longer for diesels. For example, the manufacturer’s recommended service interval for the Ford 2.4-liter turbo diesel is 9,000 miles, while the recommendation for a comparable gasoline engine is 3,000 miles.

Even in this age of globalization, the light-duty diesel markets in the United States and Europe remain a world apart. European taxi operators have recognized the advantages of diesel, and have allowed new diesel vehicles to prove themselves as efficient, quiet, and powerful alternatives.

In America, growth in the market share of taxis using diesels would vastly reduce fuel consumption, foreign oil imports, and greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, new technology has greatly reduced diesel’s NOx and PM emissions, and advanced developments will continue to reduce these emissions. Now, with the introduction into the North American marketplace of the London Taxi fitted with Ford's 2.4 liter, direct injection, turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine, taxi and livery operators will be able to experience the performance, fuel economy and environmental benefits of advanced diesel engine technology.