Regulation

US targets Mercedes diesels after VW.

"At the three pointed star.At its line of BlueTec diesel engines.
Which are alleged to be “cheating” Uncle’s emissions tests, the same accusation that’s rocked VW and which may, ultimately, end VW (via potential liabilities/fines in excess of $50 billion)."

Consumers be damned.

"Either way, Benz is now the target as VW’s list continues to worsen.Or rather, diesel engines – generally – appear to be the target.
Uncle seems determined to purge them from the marketplace. One wonders… why?"

Obama hates America.

''First VW – the one car company that was selling affordable diesels – diesels that (interestingly) undercut the economic rationale for hybrid cars and to an even greater extent electric cars."

Like I said.

"For one, Uncle kvetches about too much oil being used. Well, diesels use less oil. If half the cars on the road had diesel engines under their hoods (as in Europe) Uncle would have much less to kvetch about with regard to how much oil the populace uses.That is to say, much less in the way of plausible justification for onerous regulations such as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) fatwa. It’s set to uptick to 50-plus MPG on average by model year 2020 – less than four years distant. Not a single gas-engined car makes the cut.
But diesel-powered cars could. "

Good theory.

"Diesels – especially affordable ones, like VW was selling – also make hybrids and electric cars (especially) seem silly.Why – other than green preening – would any person merely interested in an extremely efficient automobile even consider a $35,000 Tesla (with a best-case range of maybe 200 miles) when they could buy a $22k Jetta TDI… or even a $35,000 diesel Mercedes (with a range of 700 miles)."

Great article.