boogerbear

I have never heard that cooked potatoes cause cancer. Do you mean fried / browned potatoes (acrylamide)?

Diesel is a factor here, too. The EU strategically switched to diesel in the 90's (I think) in order to meet carbon emissions standards. Diesels are more efficient. Drivers in Germany like diesels because diesel is also cheaper than gasoline, which is not true in the US.

Diesel has a problematic history in the US, though, and US emissions standards are tough on diesel by-products like NOx. I would like to know how much of that is anti-competitive and how much is genuine concern for the environment.

VW (and the EU in general) bet heavily on diesel. VW in particular had to cheat to meet the US emissions standards because they were under pressure to compete with other automakers to gain entry into the US market. Whether others did the same remains to be seen. US makers don't really product diesel cars, that is why they did not have this problem.