With clean automobile technology moving closer to the hybrid or electric craze little is known about the equally cool clean diesel. The new 2009 VW Jetta TDI is a great little car that can get you around in style without a major environmental footprint.

2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

It used to be that diesels produced smog that if combined in traffic could amount to some bad situations. That however could be a thing of the past since diesel now contains just trace amounts of sulphur. Combine that with the TDI engine and you’ve solved the diesel engine argument.

So now that we have that cleared up let’s look at the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Perhaps my favourite of the Volkswagen models it also is one the best selling cars in its class. At a starting price of $22,270 the Jetta comes with a 2.0L I$ turbocharged 140hp TDI engine that can get you a mileage of around 21mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway. In the Jetta you will be able to go from 0-60mph in just 8.5 seconds and reach top speeds of 127mph. Though records of 48mpg+ have been reported. The key to getting that kind of fuel efficiency will depend on the driver. The Jetta TDI can also comes with the very cool six speed dual-clutch transmission.

If you are in the market for a new car and are looking for something fuel-efficient but are still unsure about a hybrid of fully electric car that check out the Jetta TDI at your local Volkswagen dealership today.

Images: VW.com

Volkswagen asked third-party certifier, AMCI, to take a look at their Jetta TDI and the results are in. EPA ratings for gas mileage were 24% lower than real-world economy. AMCI gave the Jetta TDI a rating of 38 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway.

You would think those results, paired with advanced safety features and Volkswagen’s Carefree Maintenance Program (which keeps scheduled maintenance free throughout the New Vehicle Limited Warranty) you couldn’t do much better … but the US government has stepped in and granted taxpayers a federal tax credit for buying either the sedan or SportsWagen models.

The Jetta TDI will hit lots this fall.

[Source/Image: Volkswagen]

People in the North Central region of the US will get a second chance to see a collection of hybrid, clean diesel, and other full-efficient cars during the Woodward Dream Cruise’s latest event, NextCruise(TM) sponsored by 9 major automakers.

Guests will be able to see and drive current models, as well as take a look at future technologies and how they may shape cars of tomorrow. In addition, IndyCar and ALMS drivers will also appear during the show to discuss the Green Racing Challenge new for this season.

The Woodman Dream Cruise will be hosted at Pleasant Ridge Memorial Park, Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, on August 15th and 16th, with NextCruise(TM) taking place the 16th.

Source: NextCruise

If you’re near Wisconsin in mid-July, stop by Hybridfest 2008. The third annual convention will focus heavily on driving techniques to help save between 30 cents and 1 dollar per gallon. Along with that, you’ll see more alternative energy cars here than anywhere else.

Hybridfest 2008
Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 20 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Located at Alliant Energy Center, Madison, Wisconsin

You’ll be able to catch plug-ins, electrics, biodiesel, hydrogen and other alternative autos, as well as listen to the experts speak on how to save gas with everyday vehicles. Then there’s the Hybridfest MPG Challenge where drivers do their best to stretch their mileage.

Speakers include:
Felix Kramer, Cal-Cars
Mike Granoff, Project Better Place
Jo-Ann Yantzis, Clean Energy
Francis Vogel, Wisconsin Clean Cities
Wayne Gerdes, CleanMPG
Peter Kozan, MPG Challenge Winner
Michael Sefton, Diesels 101

Hybridfest 2008 is presented as part of Dane County Fair. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 11, parking and admission for younger children is free. Visit the Hybridfest website for more information.

* Don’t forget to comment to win a free Rand McNally road atlas … now Earth-Friendlier!*

Now that they’ve proven themselves on the marketplace, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne plans to use them toward his ultimate goal of producing cars with the lowest emissions in Europe by 2012. To do that, he’s focusing both on gas and diesel hybrid models. You can read more about their plans here.

It’s no coincidence that European laws are set to change that year. More proof that regulations do effect the market in environmentally positive ways.

And now, for some more Euro-car action … I was amused when I first learned of these automatic stop sign roadblocks that (in some European countries) rise right up out the street. I guess they were news to this feller, too.
[img source Fiat]

No joking folks. April Fools Day is best left to amateurs, as one of my hokey friends has been known to say. Hummer has dedicated time and (very little) effort to new, more earth-friendly SUVs AND SUTs. (SUT? Really?)

The 2009 H2 models out later this year will be FlexFuel capable, something that other companies have been making standard for nearly a decade now. By 2010, all of their cars will be E85 capable, meaning they will use even more fuel than before, but emissions will be less. According to Autobloggreen, a diesel may be in the works (bringing bio-diesel into play).

Roughly 30,000 of these hit the road every year, so it does add up. I guess.

What about their H2H Hummer Hydrogen prototypes? They’ve been on the road since October of 2004, and go a whopping 60 miles on 12 lbs of fuel. A collaboration between the Governor’s office, GM and Quantum Technologies, it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere quickly.

Hummer is a good example of how the law propels progress (making the recent decision by the California Air Resources Board so tragic). This is a quote from their website regarding the new H2 SUT.

The H2 SUT’s new engine is not just more efficient, but beats the deadline for the new US federal emissions standards by a year.

That’s their benchmark, and if expectations go down, so will their priority with one of the world’s leading gas-guzzler brands.

Prospective owners may be disappointed to learn the recently hyped Volkswagen Golf won’t be hitting US soil for several years, and a hefty chunk of cash. According to AutoblogGreen, Volkswagen is projecting fuel efficiency to ring in at nearly 70 mpg.  Wired’s running photos, and some extra tidbits from the Geneva Auto Show - including the fact that VW is saying this is strictly a concept [read: fantasy] car though other sources claim production is underway.

While no figures are being named at the moment, CNNMoney.com has an article detailing what it will take to a) be sold in the US, b) sold at an affordable cost. Will the diesel hybrid be a hit in Europe? We yanks can only hope. It seems the only way N.A. buyers will get a chance.

No word yet on whether it will run on bio-diesel or not. :p

The Mercury News is reporting a rash of pranks endangering the lives of San Franciscans and their new hybrid bus program:

Over the past couple weeks, Muni drivers have reported that people are flipping a switch that can be accessed easily through an unlocked panel on the outside of the bus.

The bus’s interior lights go out, and drivers can’t accelerate and lose radio contact with dispatchers.

Now, do we all realize who Idiot #1 is? That’s right. The wacko who designed the switch to be easily accessible from the outside of the bus. Come on, people. Green is good, but it’s not going to change mankind, who is at various points, destructive and clueless. The second Idiot would be whoever started this prank. If a bus loses the ability to accelerate, or to communicate with home base at the wrong time, it endangers the lives of everyone in and around that bus.

Hopefully designers can fit a locked door on these units so they can go back to servicing the whole city. Hopefully these pranksters will move on to destroying Humm– I mean, will find a safe and friendly hobby that helps the planet. :D

[image source]

There’s been a lot of speculation over which car will be chosen for Volkswagen’s diesel-hybrid project. Some said the Jetta. Other’s said the Toureg. Did anyone figure it would be the Golf?

I didn’t, but that’s what’s coming from German blog, Auto Bild (via Autoblog).

This is one time when learning German would be really helpful, not as much as while flirting with major high school crush Nils -the Arrow- Schumacher, but still. At least back then I was … erm, helping someone learn English. Yeh. That’s it. English.

Anyway, technically speaking, the Golf makes a lot of sense. It’s VW’s top selling car. Sales of the classic hatchback model increased dramatically in North and South American markets, as well as throughout Europe.

With the momentum behind this model, it was a common sense choice for a hybrid version … but will consumers feel the savings in fuel and emissions will be worth the increase in price? It’s worked for other cars, but the Prius has been the top hybrid on the market since it’s introduction, making me wonder if the exclusivity of a hybrid-only model doesn’t make more sense. (Yes, I know … the Insight. What can I say? Two-seaters don’t count??)