"This 35 percent increase in clean-diesel auto sales during the first quarter of 2012 is a continuation of the 27 percent sales jump in 2011," Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said in a statement.
The study's authors expect diesel auto sales to continue to increase as several new diesel vehicles (Chevrolet Cruze) hit the U.S. market during the next year and old ones return to automakers' lineups after a hiatus (Beetle). They include:

Now that covers the domestic vehicles, what about the truck markets?

According to Polk List Services new  diesel truck sales are back up where they were 5 years ago before the last recession cycle hit and higher diesel fuel prices of three years ago. Used diesel truck sales are up 11% from last year and is projected to rise additional 3-5 % beyond that figure in the next 5 years.

Why the switch from gas and hybrid over to diesel?

The recent problems with the hybrids (batteries and fire) being recalled by the manufacturers, and the high cost of the vehicles with little to no resale for those vehicles.

Again Europe has been on a diesel diet for over 30 years with low emissions and high MPG for their trucks and vehicles. Why can't US automakers see the success and follow the example?

BMW launched a domestic car that is a diesel hybrid that gets 85 mpg that can easily travel speeds of 90 mph on the Autobahn. 

But the US is much different than Europe, we have wide open spaces where Europe is small (Texas is almost the size of Europe). So driving long distances require larger fuel tanks, high mpg, and longer maintenance free vehicles, oh what a minute, I think I just described a diesel!

Trucks in the US need to haul trailers and heavy loads for work. Diesels are capable of hauling heavy loads and still get higher MPG while gas engines tend to get very low MPG.

Maybe, just maybe, the consumers are forcing the automakers to take a serious look at diesel vehicles!