It is a brand name for a family of diesel engines developed by DaimlerChrysler, but BLUETEC [or bluetec] is now also being used by Volkswagen, AG as it, too, begins to market its all new diesel offerings. Why is this important? Because DaimlerChrysler realizes that the world can benefit much more if automakers market common technology instead of going it alone. Will you be one of those motorists to purchase a bluetec powered Volkswagen?
On the eve of the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show, an announcement was made that Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, and Jeep would be jointly using the BLUETEC designation to describe their new diesel engines. Mercedes and Jeep are DaimlerChrysler {DCX} companies while Audi and VW belong to the Volkswagen Group.
The announcement was significant because it meant that a term that was reserved for DCX companies would also be picked up by Volkswagen and used to describe their engines even hough separate, but similar technology went into their respective development. The similarity of all bluetec engines is as follows:
Bluetec engines are highly fuel efficient, clean, and they meet all current US emissions requirements which happen to be some of the toughest in the world.
Bluetec engines incorporate various nitrogen oxide reduction systems to reduce pollution.
Bluetec engines have improved torque and reduce fuel consumption by 20 to 40 percent over comparable gas powered models.
For Volkswagen, BLUETEC will appear across their model line at least in Europe where diesels make up nearly fifty percent of the market. In the US, where diesel demand has been lagging, the new BLUETEC diesels are expected to have a hand in raising diesel sales to an expected 15% of all new car sales by 2015.
Despite the introduction of bluetec, Volkswagen will slowly introduce new diesel powered models as the company gauges consumer demand. The Volkswagen Passat and Volkswagen Jetta are two models thought to have the best chance of seeing bluetec diesels with the VW Touareg also under consideration.
The Volkswagen New Beetle may be the test car to introduce bluetec to the lower end of the market. The New Beetle has been a raging success in the US where it is perceived to be an environmentally friendly vehicle. Adding bluetec to the New Beetle will help the company decide whether it could power the EOS, GTI, Rabbit, Golf, and the soon to be released compact crossover/SUV, the Tiguan.
Price may ultimately be the deciding factor as to whether VW successfully markets diesel aspirated vehicles in the U.S. With hybrid technology prices slowly retreating, consumers will want to make certain that the diesel cars that they select compete effectively. Furthermore, American consumers still remember the polluting and belching diesels from the 1970s and 1980s; will they accept the current technology or pass on the chance to buy a Volkswagen car powered by bluetec technology? All of that remains to be seen, but the next few years should reveal just how far reaching BLUETEC technology really is.
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