Audi Expects Big Gains for Diesels in US: Audi believes it can achieve big sales in the US market with diesel powertrains. It believes it can sell 20 – 25 percent of its vehicles. The president of Audi of America, Johan de Nysschen, said that the Audi Q7 as the first diesel company in the US, could represents as much as 35 percent of Audi Q7 sales.
The executive was speaking about diesels at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show’s press roundtable—while on the display area, Audi and automakers are shining spotlights on their electric concept cars. Plug-in hybrid cars and Electric cars, which offer the chance for zero or near-zero tailpipe emissions, represent a more radical shift in technology—while diesel engines are about 25 to 40 percent more fuel-efficient than their conventional gasoline car.
Advanced fuel-efficient technologies—whether diesel, electric or hybrid—represent additional cost. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said, “I think the problem is that we don’t really have an honest discussion, there is a very, very high level of investment, and nobody today knows if the return will come.”
Nonetheless, Audi and European automakers are willing to make the necessary investments in diesel—and back it up with ad campaigns to promote diesel’s benefits. The car companies face an uphill countering in dispelling Americans’ view that diesel is dirty, noisy, expensive, and unsophisticated.
In June, Audi ads took over the home pages of Politico.com, Huffingtonpost.com, Slate.com, and other progressive news sites with its diesel message. The campaign—“Diesel, It’s No Longer a Dirty Word”—features rusty oil drums rolling down streets, seemingly being repatriated onto tankers. According to Audi, if one-third of US drivers drove clean diesels, it would mean the US could “send back” 1.5 million barrels of imported oil per day.
Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer of Audi of America said, “We looked at it as a political campaign, we wanted to make diesel a much bigger idea that people could rally around.” Koeogh is planning a follow-up campaign in the fall to promote the introduction fo the Audi A3 TDI diesel hatchback.
Source: Hybridcars.com
Another articles by Johan Young you may interest in reading: Ford Escape Hybrid, Hybrid Car Dealers, Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec, Hybrid Cars 2005, and Obama Proposes Rules For Carmakers to Meet 35.5 MPG.
