Consumer Reports isn't giving all-electric cars and climate change a lot of attention

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Honda will be the next automaker to market an all-electric car as Toyota continues to sit on the sidelines. -- HACKENSACK, N.J. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR Consumer Reports seems to have a blind spot for all-electric cars. The magazine's annual Auto Issue, just out, picks the 10 best new cars for 2017, but all of them use gasoline. For a full report, see: Consumer Reports smells (of gasoline)
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Free lunch for auto writers comes with hard sell on so-called clean diesel engines

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Volkswagen executive Marcel Zirwes addressing the monthly meeting of the International Motor Press Association in Manhattan. An executive from Bosch, which paid for lunch, was a no-show.



By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Members of the International Motor Press Association heard thousands of words praising "clean diesel" at their monthly meeting today in Manhattan.

But none of the executives who spoke claimed a new generation of diesel engines are cleaner than such gas-electric hybrids as the Toyota Prius.

Bosch paid for cocktails and a lunch of farmed salmon, oysters on the half shell, salad and fruit, but a representative was said to be unable to attend because of illness.

Executives of Diesel Technology Forum, Volkswagen and General Motors spoke to the automobile writers and public relations people.

In answer to questions, executives indicated hybrids with diesel engines would cost too much to produce.

And the appeal of diesel engines over hybrid technology is that the former is more profitable to automakers while yielding comparable mileage.



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