Will TDI ever be available CA, NY, MA, ME?

There is no VW that is 50 state compliant. For those of us that live in Calif or the NE states, there is a $150 emissions charge on any new VW model or engine option. VW's meet federal emission standards, which is different than 50 state emissions standards. I also believe that the reason the diesels are not emissions certified, is that Calif and the NE states are waiting for new regulations on diesel fuel quality to take effect in the next year or so.

I don't know what the big deal is about diesel cars in these four states.I guess they just want you to spend more money on overpriced gasoline,and how many people buy diesel cars to actually claim it's a hazard to the environment as they say.

Here in Ohio, diesel costs more anyway...Certain emmisions are better with diesel, others arent, like actual carbon particulate, and I believe HC's are much higher with diesels.

While that's true, the new SUVs still aren't great. And because many of them classify as trucks, not as cars, the emissions requirements aren't as strict. The air quality has gotten better here since the early 1970s, partly because of the new laws. Steve Grauman

At the immediate exhaust ports at the engine, yes, but you also need to count that what goes out is then processed by the catalytic converter. There's more going on than just how much fuel is burned.

Doesn't hold for the diesel. Nor stratified-charge gasoline engine.

A diesel engine typically operates at lean to very lean mixture. Power output is regulated by varying the quantity of fuel injected. Air quantity at a given engine speed is constant.

Because diesels operate in excess air, there's the propensity to generate more NOx, but much less HC and CO. Under low load however, which is where the engines typically operate in a passenger car, the vast amount of excess air keeps the combustion process sufficiently-cool to keep NOx levels low, even without post-combustion exhaust gas treatment.

Catalytic converters and even particulate filters are becoming more common for diesel engines in passenger cars.

But - California is poised to change fuels soon. Instant compliance :)

The problem is they measure PPM and not PP*mile*. A car that puts out 30 NOx and gets 15mpg isn't as clean as a one that puts out 50 NOx and gets 35mpg. SUVs put out much more net pollution than most small cars.

And hence you validate my post, I was responding to a guy who said cats dont matter, without that chemical reaction taking place in teh cat, much higher emisson figures.

Yes...I agree w/you there. All other things equall they *do* have a function.

If only that was true. The number of older cars is very tiny compared with the number of newer cars on the road. So the problem is not old cars. They contribute only a tiny bit to all the pollution in the air.

------------- Alex

So what *is* the problem? A: Trucks. All those diesel trucks without smog controls on them.

We have major air quality issues here affecting Los Angeles and the Central Valley, due to the high mountains that traps air particulents. It affects issues as simple as buying charcoal lighter fluid in stores and the use of gasoline lawn mowers and edgers. Diesel fuel is running about the same price as gasoline, BTW, so both types of fuel are overpriced. :) Even non fuel related activities, such as ag activities that put dust in the air are subject to upcoming regulations by the EPA.

I believe it. In the southern coastal area of California in 1998, light duty vehicles 15 years or older accounted for 11% of miles driven, but

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