Why Don't European Buyers Want 'Green' Cars?

They have the highest standers in the world with the EU and over 1/2 drive TDIs so I don't get the point?

What a misleading article. The US doesn't even care about reducing Co2 emmisions. The average US vehicle (all of those gas guzzling but not gas guzzler tax paying pickups and SUVs included) probably produces 300 or so grams of C02 per kilometer, or twice of what an average European car does. Horrible article.

I smell BS. Europe has some of the most stringent emission controls - that get even tighter ever year. Does this article even speak for Europeans? How do they know Europeans "don't want" to drive clean cars. Agent009, where did you dig up this BS?

Carmakers are forced to make their cars cleaner and cleaner year after year. In some cases, the demands of the European Union in regards to emissions are "unrealistic". That's what happens when you have a bunch of fat and overweight politicians sitting in a room dreaming up things. Last I read, they even want to tell European carmakers to design cars after "EU regulation for safety purposes".

LOL @ politicians...morons.

have you ever compared the rest of the worlds emission standards?
by 2009 the EU will have the toughest emission standards in the world. we've gone from EU1 standards back in the early 90s to EU4 now, and soon, EU5. currently japan has highest. china has higher mpg standards than the US and california, so when an american says we don't want green cars, well thats like george bush calling someone stupid.

"...so when an american says we don't want green cars, well thats like george bush calling someone stupid."

ROFL!!!

and also, the US has about 1 green car, and thats a prius! we have loads of small diesels that get brilliant mpg (citroen c1 gets over 65 (UK) in REAL LIFE, unlike the prius) not to mention the fact that our cars are generally smaller, more economical and emit fewer emissions.

Most of us don't really care about going green. Some Lexus fans talk about hybrids and tout them, but drive GX470s and LS430s, not exactly the most environmentally friendly cars.

But who am I to talk? My car gets about 16mpg on a daily basis. I drive agressively, but still...

^^^^BUT, the A3 gets about 26mpg, while being only slightly slower than the S4. Go me!

RS4 gets 11mpg, hello? Anyone home?

Dude what are you talking about the LS430 and all the other V8s from Lexus have an ULEV rating which stands for Ultra Low Emission Vehicle,so please S4,think before you type!!!Lexus has set an industry standard for low emissions..

Europeans, being far more educated of a consumer (hence their dislike of anything Japanese, unlike Americans), see that hybrid just is not the answer. It's a short term "remedy" to a long-term problem. Diesels have always been, and will continue to be the engines of choice for environmentally conscious buyers.

i wouldnt say we dislike anything japanese, that is a step too far. just because japanese isn't a best seller doesn't mean it's bad, we like hondas and nissans and toyotas and stuff. we especially like honda, nissan and toyota for making lots of their cars in europe (all honda civic hatches made in swindon (UK)! loads of nissans made in sunderland (UK)! toyotas made...somewhere in britain and in slovakia!

Ahh...Back to putting down Americans again huh???

The article talkied about CO2 emmisions ONLY. The US doesn't limit CO2 emmisions at all, on cars specifically. [Kyoto protocol isn't signed here] That is why I am sure that an average US vehicle emmtis DOUBLE the amount of CO2 of a European car. That is why this article is lame.

Correct, this article is BS.

We have to admire the Europeans for doing something about the environment with their laws and cars. If only the US would follow suit and set an example for the world. There are many reasons why we're hated. One of them is our thirst for fossil fuels and our "we have plenty" mentality. Fossil fuels are running out. But what do we do? Drive little Johnny to soccer practice in a big gas-guzzling SUV. Hop into a big gas-guzzling SUV to drive down to the local 7-11 down the block when we could have walked instead.

You don't see that in Europe. Public transportation is good, people are more educated and aware of environmental issues (and they seem to care about the environment as well).

Nope. Diesels always have lower CO2 emmisions when compared to the same car with a gasoline engine with comparable performance. And once again, the US does have stronger emmisions laws [only because the new laws came in effect this year] but the US absolutely produces way more Co2. As I said I am sure that the average US vehicle produces DOUBLE the C02 of an average European vehicle.

Nope, Diesels always have been a Nasty pollutants and here is my backup. Talk about liberal lies.
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There are more than 1.2 million diesel engines in operation in California powering cars, trucks, buses, off-road construction and agriculture equipment, trains, and ships. Each of these engines is responsible for producing tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) and toxic soot (particulate matter or PM) over their lifetime. In fact, while heavy-duty engines account for only 5% of California’s vehicles, they produce approximately 40% of the state’s NOx emissions.1 The health risks from diesel exhaust are severe. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) estimates that 70% of the airborne cancer risk in the state is attributable to diesel PM, prompting CARB to identify diesel exhaust as a toxic air contaminant. CARB also determined that the year 2000 statewide concentration of diesel PM and NOx is responsible for an average of 2,880 premature deaths per year in CA, more than seven premature deaths per day.2 Diesel PM and NOx are also linked to increased asthma hospitalizations, pneumonia, heart disease, and chronic bronchitis.

California’s Diesel Clean-up Efforts

As a result of various studies showing the health risks associated with diesel exhaust exposure, CARB adopted a comprehensive Diesel Risk Reduction Plan with the goal of reducing diesel PM emissions 75% by 2010 and 85% by 2020. The plan calls for regulations requiring lower emissions standards for new engines and requirements to add emission controls to existing diesel engines. Cleaning up existing engines is extremely important in achieving near term pollution reductions because older, high polluting heavy-duty diesel engines are expected to remain in operation for many years.

In addition to implementing tighter emissions regulations, California has also implemented two landmark incentive programs to provide funding for replacing older, dirtier engines with cleaner alternatives. Since 1999, the Carl Moyer Memorial Program and the Low Emission School Bus Program have resulted in significant reductions of diesel PM and NOx pollution. These programs provide a model for the country, and other states are following California’s lead in providing incentive funding for cleaning up diesel exhaust.

Nicehomer this is non-sense.

Don't compare old (technology) american truck with the newest european diesel cars and trucks.

The advent of Euro4 means that all european truck manufacturers are forced to choose between the Adblue/Bluetec route or Exhaust Gas Recirculation [EGR] whilst Euro 5 will probably require all manufacturers to go down the Adblue/Bluetec route.

Old American diesels powering buses VS modern, super-efficient European diesels powering cars.

Big difference my friend.

I think arguing about a few Co2 emissions is trivial. Basically cars are getting cleaner year after year, while commercial airliners are still one of the biggest polluters.

On a world scale, modern cars aren't even a dot on the map of world-wide pollution.

Besides, I thought this was a car site?

any diesel make polution. But the new ones that got a diesel filter are good. But remember that in Denmark more than 100 people die every year due to the diesel cars polution. They have this little things (dont no their name) that people get in when they breathe.

Sheep make pollution also.

yeah so does an Amish horse carriage and human feces..what's your point, moran?

Just checked some CO2 emmision lists:

BMW 330I - 210g/KM
BMW 335D - 200g/KM

Audi 2.0 TFSI - 186G/KM
Audi 2.0 TDI 170Hp - 156g/KM

As you can see from these examples, similary powered diesel are cleaner then their Petrol counterparts.

Im from europe if anyone doesnt know that yet. I drive a 2.0TDI, and leave my 3.0TDI at home most of the time, cuz i wanna save money on fuel. With the 2 litre i can do 1100km with one fuel tank = 65 euros or so.
Prius cant do that, though its more than half a tone lighter.
What I want to say is we DONT want greeen cars, we just care about the cash and thats why we drive diesels

Diesel engines (technically, compression-ignition engines that burn diesel fuel) emit huge quantities of fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and dozens of toxic chemicals that harm human health and the environment.

In more than 30 epidemiological and other health studies from around the world, particulate matter (PM) from diesel engines has been linked with a wide range of health impacts, including increased asthma attacks and emergencies, cancer, 1 endocrine disruption, 2 numerous cardiopulmonary ailments, and premature death. 3 Virtually all diesel PM is less than one micron in diameter, which means that it is small enough to evade our respiratory defense mechanisms and lodge in the deepest recesses of our lungs.

Diesel engines emit much more PM than gasoline engines -- in midtown Manhattan, diesel engines emit more than half of the PM inhaled by New York pedestrians, even though gasoline vehicles outnumber diesel vehicles by ten-to-one in New York State. 4 In Japan, diesel fuel powers roughly one out of every six vehicles, but these diesel vehicles emit nearly 100 percent of vehicle-related PM emissions. 5

I guess bio-diesel is ok,but I would not like to drive a car that smells like french fries!!!

hmmm. d'ya think all that particulate pollution has affected the IQs of our euro friends? ;)

I can’t believe you people tried to turn all this back onto America you people got a lot of nerve. You need to lay off the Kool-Aid. Let’s just blame everything on America. Holly shit what of bunch of ignorant people... You people trying to blame crap on America need to friekin get out into the real world and learn the truth because I know for a fact that you do not know the truth. Huu76 speaks the truth. Before you people keep blaming shit on America try looking at your country first. Do a shit load of research, then do a shit load of research on the rest of the world. Shit load as in a months work. You will have to keep an open mind. If you do all this you will be very surprised at the findings. Then if are not a stubborn ass you can stop blaming American on all this shit.
You will need to research:
Cows
Volcano’s
Sheep
Every Country, I mean every one.
Rain Forests
Wetlands
And many hundreds of other things.