5 September 2002: America may yet come to love the diesel car, if a Michigan politician has his way. Hohn Dingell, a member of the US House of Representatives, plans to introduce a bill that would encourage the sale of oil-burner cars in America.

The idea is supported by the US car industry, which figures it would help it meet increasingly stringent fuel efficiency regulations.

The US motorist - and the nation’s environmental regulations - have never been positive about diesel use in cars. US environmental groups oppose wider use of diesel-powered vehicles and that one prominent group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, is preparing a report that is sceptical of improvements made in diesel technology which also contends that diesels emit 40 chemical compounds that lead to various cancers, birth defects and other health problems.

New rules under the proposed bill would emulate European regulations and emission standards, which the anti-diesel lobby says are not as strict about particulate emissions as the US rules.

Diesels have lowr emissions of of ‘greenhouse’ gas C02, but have a higher emission of particulates than petrol engines. The new rules will allow diesel engines to emit more than twice the quantity of particulates of a petrol-powered engine.