Diesel Sales Jump in the United States

2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel (Credit: © General Motors)

In the past, American consumers have been pretty cold to diesel vehicles, with exception of large pickup trucks. That is all beginning to change now, thanks in part to the advent of clean diesel technology that means no plumes of smoke will trail out of tailpipes. European brands like Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have noticed this shift in the market, and they have been exploiting it as much as possible.

Just how much have sales grown? From January through June of 2014, there was a 25 percent increase in diesel vehicle sales in the United States when compared to the sales results from the same period in 2013. That growth far outpaced the overall uptick in vehicle sales for the entire industry, showing that more consumers are looking to ditch gasoline and fill up using diesel.

Some are predicting that the current trend will continue on. Currently, diesel cars make up just three percent of all sales. That amount might double with a few short years as more car shoppers realize the benefits of driving a clean diesel vehicle. Not only do diesel models provide superior fuel economy, they also produce far more torque that comes in handy for city driving or towing items.

Lest you think that most of the current diesel models that are sold in the United States are pickup trucks or sport utility vehicles, the 27 diesel car models make up more than half of the 46 diesel models that are currently available in the market. Among the diesel cars are numerous offerings from Volkswagen, Mercedes and Audi, as well as the award-winning Chevrolet Cruze Diesel.