New 3.0L diesel pickups coming from the U.S.

Submitted: Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 at 14:53
ThreadID: 136428 Views:3457 Replies:5 FollowUps:7
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It's a bit of a surprise to see the "Big Three" American manufacturers actually producing totally new diesel engines for the 2018 and 2019 model years.

This - in the land of dirt-cheap petrol, a love of huge petrol V8's, and a general dislike of diesel engines - with many Americans claiming they were noisy, hard to start in their bitter cold winter conditions, and expensive to maintain.

GM is producing a brand new in-line, 3.0L 6 cylinder diesel, Dodge/Chrysler is producing a brand new 3.0L V6 diesel, and Ford is producing a brand new 3.0L V6 diesel.

The Dodge Ram V6 is being built by VM-Motori, the supplier of the engine in the diesel Jeeps, the Ford V6 diesel is based on the Jaguar V6 diesel - and nothing has been said about the origins of the new GM 3.0L diesel.

However, seeing as VM-Motori is the origin of the current, smaller GM Duramax diesels (such as the 2.8L diesel in the Colorado) - then it's not unreasonable to think that GM will also be sourcing its new diesel from VM-Motori.

All these engines are aiming at the 240-250HP mark (180-186Kw), with substantially-improved fuel economy, and the very latest in engine technology.

Ford and GM are also in joint venture to produce their new 10 speed automatic, which will find itself fitted to a huge range of GM and Ford vehicles.

If they can do this in America, why can't we get some of these flash new diesels, here?
I suppose we will, eventually - but only at great cost, like everything that come from the U.S. - and which has the exorbitant "Australia Tax" added!

New GM Duramax 3.0L diesel for 2019

Comparing the new V6 diesels in the 2018 Dodge Ram and Ford F-150

Interestingly, Gale Banks has been working on "militarising" the 3.0L V6 VM-Motori engine, to make it attractive to NATO and the U.S. military, as a "multiple-fuel" engine that can meet military reliability requirements.

Of course, "military reliability" requirements mean it only needs to last 400 hours in combat conditions!

Gale Banks - Inside The VM Motori 3.0L V6 Diesel Engine

Cheers, Ron.
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Reply By: RMD - Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 at 15:07

Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 at 15:07
I object t GM calling a VM Motori engine a Duramax. It has nothing to do with a Duramax engine heritage at all, the only commonality is it also burns diesel. That is about it. A TOTAL con by GM with it's attitude to customers who are mostly blind to their way of operating. Crows also pick the eyes out of things, it is an easy thing to do.

If we stopped having so many makes and models of everything offered in Australia we would have vehicles which are cheaper.

A few years ago there was 360 models and/or variations of tractors sold in Australia, heaven knows what that relative figure would be in the motoring sphere. Mind boggling numbers.
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Reply By: Dean K3 - Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 at 18:19

Saturday, Mar 17, 2018 at 18:19
Hmm so the engines are getting smaller (by amercian stds) but vehciule sizes remains the same.

So more stress on engine more "sensors clean technology" to give a better mileage - call me cynical but that will be one very stressed engine.

I shook my head when Nissan slotted a 2.5 or 3.0 4 cyl into the patrol and how many of them failed -irrespective of design fault etc

If they kept these engines to midsized 4wd they be Ok, ie Demax colarado Bt 50 Hilux prado etc

Still think a 6l inline 6 or 7.2 v8 is a better option for towing the ever increasing size of caravans 5th wheelers over here which are going down the states route as well.

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Reply By: swampy - Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 13:52

Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 13:52
Hi
Ford F trucks sell 2-3 more times than any other brand . Been that way since the dawn of time . Diesels for many .

More PROFIT for Ford to sell Ozzy cars that wear out fast = Thailand Ranger

The base F truck would be a better ute than a Ranger
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Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 15:03

Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 15:03
I guess cars are no different to white and electrical goods........you don’t want them to last to long as you don’t make money if the consumer does not keep buying.

I recently heard that Alvey have stopped production of their famous centre pin reels until further notice as they don’t wear out or break and they have a stock pile of them in the factory waiting to be sold
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Follow Up By: Paul E6 - Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 21:50

Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 21:50
yeah right. So far on our big lap, rangers by far outnumber any other single ute model towing, for the first time ever that I've noticed. I've seen more than one with 300k+ on the clock. The PX has been around since 2012.
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Reply By: Deejay - Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 17:17

Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 17:17
So much then for the abounding rumours on other motoring forums and in the paper claiming that all that can be done to get diesels to meet pollution laws has been done so they're being slowly dropped and replaced with petrols. Seems no one has told the yanks.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 19:56

Sunday, Mar 18, 2018 at 19:56
The simple fact remains that diesels still have superior fuel economy and torque - despite the claims that diesels are dead in the water.

The biggest single governing factor is whether diesels can continue to remain in front of ever-increasing emissions laws. At this stage, it appears they can.

The article below delves into the future of light diesels, and how they can still remain competitive as the cost of emission control devices comes down - and the cost of building them decreases, as engine sizes are reduced, due to improved engineering efficiencies.

There's a declining market for diesels in small cars, due to the engine cost - but the fitment of diesels to small cars was always an "iffy" proposition, anyway.
But the manufacturers have realised that there's still a solid market for diesels in the 4WD, pickup, SUV, and upper-level luxury vehicles. This diesel market is not going to decline any time soon.

The advent of 48V electrics is another area where diesel efficiency is going to increase.
48V electrics stand to take up a lot of accessory loads that will result in more engine power going to the road - and also be the commencement of partial hybrid setups where regenerative braking will be included as part of the power management.

The Europeans are still pushing diesels, possibly for two reasons - one, the diesel light vehicle population in Europe is around 30% of the vehicles on the road - and the Europeans use a lot of vegetable oils for fuels (biofuels), thus reducing their total fuel import bill cost, and reducing their reliance on imported diesel.

Also, diesel is cheaper in Europe, whereas it's the same cost or higher in America. As a result, diesels still only make up 1% of the diesel light vehicle population in the U.S.
No doubt that's a percentage the manufacturers are seeking to increase.

Diesel Technology developments

Cheers, Ron.



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Follow Up By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 13:20

Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 13:20
Ron, Biodiesel is more expensive then diesel derived from petroleum.
If it was cheaper you wouldn't need to mandate it's use, as is the case with all biofuel all over the world. Aussie farmers would be running their tractors from Canola Oil if it was cheaper
Mark
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Follow Up By: Member - McLaren3030 - Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 13:51

Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 13:51
Mark, Most Biodiesel in Australia is blended with Tallow & not Canola Oil. Tallow is much cheaper than Canola Oil.

Macca.
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 14:38

Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 14:38
Mark, the biodiesel argument always rages on about its efficiency and expense.
In Europe, there is an EU-Union mandated target set for a 10% level of biodiesel for 2020.

The EU is not looking at the simple bowser cost of straight diesel vs biodiesel - they are looking at the benefits of cleaner air from biodiesel, and increased employment and income within the EU countries, as agricultural production is ramped up.

The EU has seen what happened to Brazil, which was staggering under a monstrous trade deficit and national debt, largely due to massive oil imports.
Within a few years of mandating ethanol biofuels, supplied by sugarcane grown within Brazil, the country paid off all its outstanding national debt.

Their fuel import bill went to a much lower sustainable figure in this time frame.
Ethanol currently supplies 17% of Brazils fuels at present - but this can vary due to market pressures and crop yields.
Of course, there was also huge pressure to ramp up Brazils oil exploration and production in the same time frame - which largely succeeded.

Rapeseed oil comprises 66% of the current vegetable oil supply used in EU bio diesel.
Rapeseed is easily grown in many EU countries, it can be grown on waste land, and it is used as a break crop to reduce diseases in other crops.

In addition, Rapeseed production efficiency is increasing with improved varieties and improved farming techniques.

There is definitely a constant see-saw between biofuels and petroleum fuels, simply because of the huge number of variables affecting pricing, markets, and demand.
Essentially, when petroleum fuels rise in price due to price fixing and manipulation (as is happening now with OPEC), then biofuels make inroads into the fuel market.
Accordingly, when oil prices slump, biofuels rapidly lose ground due to cost.

It is Govts that set the market for biofuels - via mandated targets, taxation regimes, and other economic measures.
I personally believe biofuels need to be encouraged to ensure competition in the energy marketplace and to reduce our reliance on oil imports.

One thing's for sure - biofuels won't be going away anytime soon, and the EU is driving that section of transport fuel production along, at a steady pace.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Member - Mark (Tamworth NSW) - Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 21:15

Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 21:15
Ron
We have had this discussion before.
Please try to gain more independent information than what the Biofuel industry produces, surely not even they claim it erased the Brazilian National debt.
I agree the Biofuel industry does worry the Petroleum produced and Industry.
You have stated above that it has to be mandated, it is not economic.
My employer has had to mothball their (ethanol) production unit in the UK which utlised over 1Million tonnes of grain pa due to lack of UK mandate
It is a taxpayer subsidy, inclusing to many Australian canola farmers for whom the EU Biofuel industry is their largest market .
Mark
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Reply By: garrycol - Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 11:02

Monday, Mar 19, 2018 at 11:02
The Ford engine is not actually a new engine - it is the same basic engine 3.0 TDV6 that has been in the Landrover lineup since about 2010.

The engine is from the PSA (makers of the new Holden Commodore) european "Lion" series of engines (2.7l version is in the Ford Territory) but for the US market it will be called a "Powerstroke" engine in line with their other diesels.
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