Aton 1 James Daugherty Level 6 2/26/15 Is Bigger Always Better? Why has society created this image that bigger is always better? One specific example I would like to point out is with Toyota as a truck company. In recent years they have become this company that markets themselves as a truck company that is bigger and can handle more than the big competitors like Chevrolet and Ford. At the same time Toyota markets their smaller cars like the Prius and Camry as these fuel efficient hybrid vehicles. Now why don't they bring their smaller trucks back to life? I personally own a 1995 Nissan Hardbody truck that runs and drives great. I'm a huge car and truck enthusiast that would like to see change in the market of automobiles. These older trucks like mine are very long lasting and it’s common to see 300,000 plus miles on one of these rigs. Nissan and Toyota have a reputation for their older trucks to last forever, and in some cases the chassis of the truck will outlast the body. There has always been a huge market all around the world for small trucks, and automakers have taken turns making them, like Chevrolet S10, Ford Ranger, Nissan Aton 2 Hardbody, Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota and there are many more that have withstood the test of time. Toyota’s small trucks that are 30 years old can still be found driving down the road today. It wasn't until 2007 that they moved into the half ton series of their trucks, and they made the mistake of discontinuing their small truck series. When they discontinued their light duty trucks they completely eliminated people from the market of that have a use for a truck but not a use for a large full size truck. Another thing Toyota and maybe other manufacturers should consider, if they ever decide to come back with the their smaller trucks, is putting a diesel engine or a hybrid of electricity and diesel in the truck as the power plant. Granted a diesel hybrid is just starting out primarily with Volkswagen and Audi. But one thing Audi and Volkswagen have as an upper hand is that they have been the leaders in using efficient diesel power plants in their cars and SUVs. They started using diesel engines in the mid 1970s and continue to use them to this day. It has taken other auto manufacturers such as Dodge and Chevrolet roughly 15 years to come to the conclusion that a diesel engine in anything less than a three quarter ton or one ton is a good idea. As of this year, Chevrolet revealed that it’s going to now offer their Chevy Colorado with a Duramax diesel option, and Dodge is now offering a 1500 with an eco diesel. So, why don’t Toyota and similar manufactures get with the times and offer diesel as an alternative to gas? Diesel has many upsides as a fuel; there is a reason that diesel has been used in larger pieces of equipment and trucks for decades. Diesel engines often have higher fuel economy; this is because a diesel can produce more power with lower amounts of Aton 3 fuel because of the higher combustion rate resulting from a high pressure injection system. People often add things like aftermarket turbochargers to boost fuel economy and add more horsepower. Diesels also have very low emissions due to the fuel to air mixture ratios: with the proper tuning of a diesel engine, diesel vehicles can be the lowest emission vehicles that still use an oil based fuel. I think one of my favorite parts about diesel engines is that they require lower maintenance and have a longer lifespan. Now can you imagine an already long lasting Toyota truck backed by a long lasting diesel engine? That would be an unbreakable combination. There are a few cons to buying/owning a diesel. The fuel cost used to be cheaper per gallon up until 2007 when diesel consumption surpassed gas consumption so the government found it fit to raise the price. Vehicles with diesel power plants generally have a higher cost over gasoline engines due to the more specialized parts; it is considered more of a higher end option. Along with that, diesel repairs often cost more than gasoline engine repairs because a diesel mechanic is more of a specialist in the field and requires more training. These are the larger setbacks of owning a diesel powered vehicle but even with these it’s still more beneficial to own one as long as you keep it for a long time. If you're likely to trade in your vehicle every couple of years then it’s not worth the investment. Back to Toyota: as of November 2014, Toyota was supposed to release a light duty tundra with a diesel engine and a larger HD version with a much larger engine in 2009 ­ 2010 but due to the market crash in 2008 they decided to delay the project (Diesel Toyota Tundra Info). Even as of last year with very strict regulations now in Aton 4 place for diesels, it’s not likely for Toyota to produce a diesel until post 2020. Granted, Ward’s auto, Auto Guide, and Car & Driver magazine report that next year the Toyota tundra will be offered with a 5.0 L Cummins engine. Even if they do that, it’s only one step in the right direction. Thats still in a full size truck instead of the light duty truck that I and so many others are looking for. As for the type of engine they should use in the light duty trucks, it’s really hard to narrow it down to one engine because there are so many diesel engine manufacturers. The more popular ones are Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax. These are the leading power plants in the industry. Now Cummins has an in line 4 called the 4BT which is an extremely powerful but fuel efficient engine, it’s commonly found in larger box vans. Isuzu (manufacturer of Duramax) is now producing a smaller 2.8 L which is the smallest Duramax currently made. The only catch is that this is specifically made for the new Chevy Colorado which is also a light duty truck. Now just using common sense I don't believe General Motors is just going to let Toyota waltz in and let them use their engine, so using the Duramax power plant is realistically out of the question. Powerstroke is made for only Ford’s line of vehicles. Ford has refused to allow other companies use their engines in their vehicles which makes Powerstroke a definite no. This brings us back to the Cummins line of engines. They recently unveiled the ISF 2.8 L which is now the leading diesel engine for its displacement, Its meant for light duty vehicles and provides the power and torque needed without taking away from your gas mileage. Cummins would be the way to go if Toyota ever decided to make a light duty diesel truck. Aton 5 Overall I think Toyota would be doing themselves and the general public a favor if they made a fairly affordable small truck with a diesel engine. Even though they are more expensive, in the long run they actually pay for themselves due to how long they last. Fuel is generally more expensive but lasts longer so it costs you more upfront, but since the tank of fuel last longer you actually save money. The amount of horsepower and torque produced from a small diesel engine is the same as a larger gas engine, which then sacrifices the good gas mileage, this more with less with a diesel engine just re­enforces the good mileage about diesels. With all of the positives outweighing the negatives, why doesn’t Toyota make the smart decision to make a light duty truck with a diesel power plant? Aton 6 Works Cited "The Benefits of Diesel Cars." ​
CarsDirect​
. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.carsdirect.com/car­buying/benefits­and­incentives­for­buying­diesel­a
utos>. "Cummins Engines for Light Commercial Vehicle." ​
Cummins Engines​
. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://cumminsengines.com/light­commercial­vehicle>. "Diesel Toyota Tundra Info ­ Toyota Tundra Diesel." ​
Tundra Headquarters Blog RSS​
. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/blog/diesel­Toyota­tundra/>. "Ford Power Stroke Engine." ​
Wikipedia​
. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Power_Stroke_engine>. "List of Volkswagen Group Diesel Engines." ​
Wikipedia​
. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Volkswagen_Group_diesel_engines>. "NACS." ​
Why Diesel Costs More Than Gasoline​
. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nacsonline.com/YourBusiness/FuelsReports/GasPrices_2013/Pages/
Why­Diesel­Costs­More­Than­Gasoline.aspx>.