A report from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, entitled 'Deliberating Diesel: Environmental, Technical, and Social Factors Affecting Diesel Passenger Vehicle Prospects in the United States', suggests that there are some grounds for optimism with regard to the growth of the diesel automotive sector.

In 2002, less than one-half of one per cent of cars sold in the United States was diesel vehicles, with no light-duty diesel trucks produced at all.

The report attributes much of this inhibited growth to a legacy of the 1970s and 1980s, when light-duty diesels appeared in substantial numbers and 'were plagued by poor performance, unreliability, noxious exhaust, and high noise levels'.

However, now the report paints a rosier picture: 'Manufacturers have come a long way in addressing these shortcomings in recent years, […] and diesels can offer fuel economy and performance advantages over gasoline vehicles.'

Nevertheless the report, which was compiled by James Kliesch and Therese Langer, warns that if US regulations remain focused on ultra-low Nitrous Oxide and indifferent about greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency, the chances for the diesel automotive sector appear to be slim.