For as long as I can remember, truck enthusiasts have been clamoring for a half-ton diesel. Diesel engines offer a lot of advantages over gasoline motors, many of which truck owners find particularly appealing.

photo credit: respres
Diesel truck advantages:

Diesel is more efficient. Depending on who you ask, diesel engines are about 30% more fuel efficient [...]

Here’s what our sources at Toyota have told us the last couple of years…
“Toyota’s going to build a couple of diesel Tundra’s, and one of them will be a real live heavy-duty monster. Count on it – 3 years after launch tops.”
“No – wait – we’re not going to build a HD diesel right now, [...]

Toyota’s recent announcement that they’re “shelving” the diesel Tundra is a dumb decision. Here’s why:

Ford, GM, and Chrylser will all offer diesel half ton trucks in the next 2 years (or less). Toyota will be the only major manufacturer without a light-duty diesel truck.
Diesel engines offer the best potential for high fuel economy. Early estimates [...]

Despite our complete disbelief and our challenge of the original PickupTrucks.com report, Toyota exec Don Esmond (a senior VP) was officially quoted as saying “We’ve pushed back the [Tundra diesel] until we can figure out where the market is going.” Kudos to PickupTrucks.com Mike Levine for confirming his earlier report on the record.
Has Toyota made [...]

UPDATE – This news has been confirmed – please see our response “Dropping The Diesel A Dumb Decision”
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Pickuptrucks.com has reported that plans for a light-duty 4.5L diesel Tundra have been shelved. We officially doubt the veracity of this news report.
1. Toyota is rumored to be producing a 4.5L diesel version of the Landcruiser for the [...]

For the 2010 model year, the rumor is that Toyota has decided to take the 4.5 liter diesel engine that currently resides in the Australian LandCruiser 200 and shoehorn it into the Tundra. Given that each of the ‘Big Three’ domestic truck makers has committed to offering a diesel engine in their half-ton trucks, this [...]