Emission controls in American could be met by fuel-efficient diesel cars, according to leading industry observers.

A series of commentators in the Detroit News suggest that the US market may be set for a period of diesel domination.

Jean-Martin Folz, chief executive of PSA Peugeot Citroen, which currently manufactures diesel engines in a joint venture with Ford, questioned the commercial prospects of hybrid vehicles.

"They do not have long-term economic prospects because they are a lot more expensive to produce [than diesel engines] with the same results," he said.

Emissions from the cars could meet environmental targets on soot and nitrogen oxides by 2007, by improving the fuel used in the engines as well as adding special filters to remove the offending substances from exhaust as Automotive Industry Data's Peter Schmidt explained.

"Diesels will easily meet significantly tougher laws coming up, particularly in California; these can be met without sweat, no problem whatsoever," he commented.

"Diesels are all round superior to hybrids in terms of running costs, manufacturing costs, flexibility in town and highway, they are winning hands down," he added.

Volkswagen diesel cars proved their environmental worth recently, with the company's Beetle, Golf and Jetta models claiming several of the top spots in a fuel efficiency survey.


Ÿ Adfero Ltd