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hybrid diesel

brainhulk

brainhulk

Diamond Member
I was just thinkin to myself on the morning drive about this concept and wonderin - how good the mpg would be? and why haven't we seen one yet?
 
A million people have wondered this. Not sure why we've not seen it yet, though. Diesel continues to be a pipe dream for north american consumer cars except for the rare VW option and will remain this way indefinitely. We'll be into electric and fuel cells before we're ever choosing between diesel corollas and focuses.
 
I believe several European companies have shown concepts with a diesel hybrid powertrain...and I believe the Opel Ampera (Opel's Chevy Volt concept) had a diesel instead of the gas engine as it's generator. I'm sure we'll see them...just diesel's added cost/weight/emissions have not made them attractive in the US vs. the gasoline alternatives.
 
There are a lot of interesting ideas that just never saw the light of day. I've read some stuff about flywheels and compressed air that could potentially be great replacements for batteries in electric cars.

To me, the hybrid diesel idea is a no-brainer. I guess part of the problem is that only VW seems to focus on the production of diesel powered cars, and they have been late to the hybrid party.
 
PricklyPete said:
I believe several European companies have shown concepts with a diesel hybrid powertrain...and I believe the Opel Ampera (Opel's Chevy Volt concept) had a diesel instead of the gas engine as it's generator. I'm sure we'll see them...just diesel's added cost/weight/emissions have not made them attractive in the US vs. the gasoline alternatives.
Click to expand...


To add to that, also size and plumbing. Most have turbos so the extra from that.
 
BMWs Efficient Dynamics diesels are "mild hybrids". The main issue with full hybrid diesels are:

- Japanese manufacturers have been slow to produce Diesels
- European manufacturers have been slow to produce Hybrids
- US acceptance of Diesel is still very low
 
I think another point is that diesel tends to offer the same strengths that electric motors do (low end grunt), at least a typical gas engine and electric motors play to each others strengths a bit more.

I was thinking Opel actually had a diesel hybrid sports car based on their little two seater derived from Lotus. I mean a concept, not production car.

Hmm, looks like it was just a diesel:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/02/the-opel-eco-speedster.php

They did do another concept and have some test mules for diesel hybrids though.
 
brainhulk said:
I was just thinkin to myself on the morning drive about this concept and wonderin - how good the mpg would be? and why haven't we seen one yet?
Click to expand...

San Francisco public transit agency has a fleet of diesel hybrids. They cost $500k per 40ft coach compared to $330k for a diesel.

The hybrids get 3.0 MPG compare to 3.8MPG on the diesel coaches.
 
Its due to the LIBERALS in the country that didn't like the bit of black smoke that came out of diesel engines upon acceleration and decided to impose VERY STRICT rules on them. Nothing like having a second tank to fill with synthetic urine to make catalytic converts work on diesel engines. diesel engines are far "greener" than gas engines to begin with. Hell the trucks I drive at work are Diesel/Electric, but I haul 240 ton in one load.
 
rancherlee said:
Its due to the LIBERALS in the country that didn't like the bit of black smoke that came out of diesel engines upon acceleration and decided to impose VERY STRICT rules on them. Nothing like having a second tank to fill with synthetic urine to make catalytic converts work on diesel engines. diesel engines are far "greener" than gas engines to begin with. Hell the trucks I drive at work are Diesel/Electric, but I haul 240 ton in one load.
Click to expand...

Everything that is wrong with this country is done by liberals.

:sneaky:
 
There is a negative stigma in the US about diesels in general. They are perceived as smelly, dirty, less "eco friendly."
 
I wonder how much now that your combining two premium technologies?
Says it has a more 'upscale' interior meaning meant higher end but do rich people care about 76 mpg?
 
desy said:
I wonder how much now that your combining two premium technologies?
Says it has a more 'upscale' interior meaning meant higher end but do rich people care about 76 mpg?
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some (actors mainly) care about their image.
 
rancherlee said:
Its due to the LIBERALS in the country that didn't like the bit of black smoke that came out of diesel engines upon acceleration and decided to impose VERY STRICT rules on them. Nothing like having a second tank to fill with synthetic urine to make catalytic converts work on diesel engines. diesel engines are far "greener" than gas engines to begin with. Hell the trucks I drive at work are Diesel/Electric, but I haul 240 ton in one load.
Click to expand...
Nixon is playing for the liberal team now?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Environmental_Policy_Act

Actually, some switcher locomotives at a rail yard in my neck of the woods were tripping some pollution sensors. A bunch of groups worked with CSX to get some GenSet locomotives in the yard.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS148196+27-May-2008+PRN20080527
 
Last edited:
DivideBYZero said:
BMWs Efficient Dynamics diesels are "mild hybrids". The main issue with full hybrid diesels are:

- Japanese manufacturers have been slow to produce Diesels
- European manufacturers have been slow to produce Hybrids
- US acceptance of Diesel is still very low
Click to expand...

I wouldn't really class them as hybrids as they don't have electric motors driving any wheels. All they have is regenerative braking which tops up their 12V battery...
 
ecom said:
San Francisco public transit agency has a fleet of diesel hybrids. They cost $500k per 40ft coach compared to $330k for a diesel.

The hybrids get 3.0 MPG compare to 3.8MPG on the diesel coaches.
Click to expand...

Toronto did the same thing recently. They found the hybrid buses also break down more than the conventional ones.

There's been a few diesel-electric hybrid car prototypes around. Notably the Citroen C-Cactus, and the Opel Flextreme. The latter being a diesel version of the Chevy Volt.

In theory it would work since diesel engines can run at lower RPMs, then use gearing or a flywheel to turn a generator. Diesels do tend to produce more smoke though, and the engines are heavier.
 
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