Though diesel’s reputation has been blackened by its sooty emissions, its rep could be about to change for the better. New diesel engine and fuel advances, followed by sleek fleets from European and Japanese car makers, may have Americans driving diesel before they know it.

Diesel engines have always gotten 25-40 percent better fuel economy than petroleum-based combustion engines, but have had prohibitive down sides- noise, visible smoky emissions and high toxicity- that have kept it out of US markets. Yet those concerns are assuaged by new low sulfur diesel and refined diesel engines. Diesel engines in the new fleets are virtually indistinguishable to the average consumer in terms of performance and noise. Consumers will notice the higher fuel economy, with some models averaging 50 mpg.

Diesel engines’ combustion process allows for higher returns that gas combustion engines do. The new influx of diesel engines come at a good time, as biodiesel is also becoming available to the mainstream. Biodiesel, which can be made from an array of fats and oils, is being scaled up and projected to boom over the next decade. Biodiesel runs 50-75% cleaner than regular diesel and is also cleaner than clean burning diesel.

Read more at the NY Times.