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7 responses to “Prius Hybrid Lunacy?”

1. 2005/02/21

   Christopher Davis

   re: Prius Hybrid Lunacy?

   Yes, the VW TDI vehicles are available in the US. Diesel fuel isn’t as easy to find at gas stations as it is in Europe, though; one of those chicken/egg things (few cars mean few stations; few stations mean few cars).

   As for why not hybrid diesels? Size and cost issues, apparently. Hybrids use a smaller gasoline engine to help compensate for the batteries and electric bits, and both hybrid and diesel cost more. There are, however, hybrid diesel buses already; the cost increment is a lower percentage, the size doesn’t matter nearly as much, and the transit agencies already have diesel fueling facilities.

   Wired News covered this last year: http http://www.wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,65273,00.html

   (The final bit: “how about a hybrid bio-diesel?”)

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2. 2005/02/21

   Clive

   The main problem is the complete redesign that’s required to create room for the batteries. Now that they’ve confirmed the popularity of the technology on the Prius platform (which was purpose-built for it), they’re beginning to incorporate it into other models in the Toyota and Lexus ranges.

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3. 2005/02/22

   alecm

   re: Prius Hybrid Lunacy?

   Straight-up good diesel engines of any sort would make a dent in the American national fuel consumption, but you point is well-taken.

   Funny, though…

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4. 2005/02/22

   Katz

   More on Diesels…

   More and more diesels are coming to the States albeit slowly. See, the Diesel fuel here has a high concentration of sulfur which fouls up the emissions. In 2007 the standards for refining Diesel will change, so there will be less sulfur in the fuel and less bad emissions.

   So right now Diesel cars can only be sold in 45 states, excluding the largest car markets of California, New York, New Jersey and other states in the northeast. So without the largets markets there isn’t a draw to them.

   However, manufacturers in the US (and foreign manufacturers who sell here) know this and are working around it. Both Audi and Mercedes are bringing Diesel cars to the states for the 2005-2006 model years. VW has always had a TDI line here. Just about every VW car, from the Golf to the Toureg can be had with a TDI powertrain.

   I don’t know what the domestics are up to, but I know that one of the largest manufacturers of Diesel engines in the States, Cummins, who makes engines for Dodge as well as for large trucks has been gearing up production in recent years and planning ahead.

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5. 2005/02/22

   alecm

   re: More on Diesels…

   The big win would be in the urban environment.

   Unlike petrol/gasoline enginees, new diesels like the VAG ones already switch-off the fuel pump during engine braking, which means that it is rather more efficient to drive slightly more aggressively and then use engine braking to slow, rather than brake-and-press-the-clutch which merely idles a petrol engine, so that it is still consuming fuel.

   Combine the above with a well-tuned (ha! that’s a rarity…) automatic gearbox for driving in the USA, and I should think the savings would be enormous; stick an electric motor in for city driving of the move-10-feet-and-stop variety, and you’re sorted…

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6. 2005/02/26

   Stuart Berman

   re: Prius Hybrid Lunacy?

   I had a US VW Diesel Rabbit (Golf) in the 1980s which got 50 MPG (US) – so the hybrid claims seem like a big yawn.

   Plenty of gas stations sell diesel – it just has a bad history – particulates, smell, smoke, hard to start in deep cold, noisy, difficulty in repair…

   I get far more excited about cars like the Smart car, the ForTwo, which gets far better mileage on a conventional engine. Hoping they will eventually be sold in the US – but seems like Mercedes doesn’t have a grip on what they have, apparently it is still losing money.

   Reply
7. 2005/03/01

   Curious Stranger

   re: Prius Hybrid Lunacy?

   Note that only certain TDI power plants are available in the US, mostly because of the terrible quality of our diesel. Most of the more modern powerplants are only now or in the near future being introduced in reaction to plans to clean up our diesel: http http://www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel.htm

   The next few years should bring a lot more options along these lines, since automakers can introduce the same powerplants they currently sell in Europe in the US, rather than having to maintain a seperate set.

   In the meantime, biodiesel (http http://www.biodiesel.org) 😉

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