Frank in Pace, FL

Ethanol: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Beautiful

This author is mostly all wet. It is so wonderful that he has available to him electric buses and light rail. He should grow up and become part of the real world. These modes of transportation will not ever be available to the majority of the american citizens in the net 100 years.

What I cannot figure out is the fact that in l984 I drove an american made car that got between 50 and 60 miles to the gallon on the highway with diesel fuel. While diesel fuel is dirty in terms of omissions, I could never figure out why our wonderfully educated automotive engineers could not develop a small diesel engine which could be clean..and provide high "gas" mileage too...perhaps 99 miles to a gallon. You could use biodiesel fuel for this car. It would beat the pants of anything that is being developed today. I suspect the oil companies beat this to death back in the 80's. What was this American made car, you ask? It was the Ford Escort diesel. A 6-speec manual shift car that got better than 45 mph in the city and nearly 60 on the highway. Maintenance? It needed a tuneup and a timing best change at 100,000 miles. I know that VW is coning out with a new diesel...but you never hear about that. What is wrong with this country's engineers?