Hybrid or Diesel? Depends.
Despite Sam A's recent post about hybrids losing some appeal relative to the upcoming cleaner diesels, I tend to feel hybrids are here to stay and will include ever growing part of the auto market. To back me up, is the recent survey by those wild guys over at Consumer Reports. More than 1,800 people were polled and more than 50 percent said there were willing to switch to smaller vehicles if that improved fuel efficiency. It does. Not quite as many - about 40 percent - said they were willing to pay more for fuel efficient vehicles. About 30 percnet were willing to pay more for alternative fuels.
There are a lot of factors at play here. Most of our fuel is imported so when we buy petroleum we are exporting our dollars. Buying less fuel means we export fewer dollars. However, buying an imported hybrid car means we are exporting dollars once again. Depends on who you are exporting the dollars to. Of course, hybrids were developed and perfected in the US. The Big 3 worked on them during the 1990s with government funding. But they did not have to build them and they didn't. They were too busy selling SUVs then. So Honda and Toyota, coming from a country with absolutely no oil reserves, jumped right in with their own system. Shame on us.
Consumers Reports favors higher mileage standards. They estimate that each car owner would save $865 a year if the mileage standards were raised to 35 MPG for cars and light trucks. Now, that is $865 out of pocket expense for each car. That means earning about $1,330 before taxes or $2,660 for a 2-car family. Anyone here have that kind of extra cash lying around?
As far as Diesel vs. Hybrid, I think the two features will be merged into one. A small diesel engine and a hybrid system seems like an ideal package for the long run. The diesel can be optimized for low emissions in its operating "sweet spot" and the extra load can be taken up by the energy storage system. As a matter of fact that is what the Big 3 each came up with in the 1990s.
[Source: Light and Medium Truck]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
EVdriver 3:46PM (7/11/2009)
No more deadly diesel fumes.
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Tim 8:20PM (7/24/2007)
I love biodiesel! I like straight VegOil even more. The problems with both fuels include jelling and going rancid while in storage.
However, an HCCI flex-fuel engine would have the same efficiency as diesel at 1/2 the cost and 1/2 the weight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HCCI HCCI works best in a narrow RPM range which makes it perfect for a series PHEV-40 such e-flex where the engine would be used only to recharge the battery pack. Mr. Lutz mentioned that GM is perfecting HCCI and I believe they will use it in the volt range extender. HCCI looks even better when replacing ethanol with Cellosic Biobutanol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biobutanol
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Steven Levin 8:07AM (7/25/2007)
To clarify, during the 1990s the Big three were told that hybrids would not give them any credit towards the (then) march to zero-emission cars. There was no "middle ground" offered on the emissions front.
That government stubbornness continued right up to California's deadline of "you can only sell 49 non-zero emission cars for every zero-emission car you sell" collapsed simply because, at the deadline, it was clear that no practical zero-emission cars were possible that could be sold en masse.
A more reasonable environmental policy would have actual yielded real results.
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mk3 2:28PM (7/25/2007)
I do not agree that Hybrids were "developed and perfected in the US". I guess if that were true then US manufacturers would hold all the patents and Toyota would be paying nice royalties to them. Was there even one hybrid vehicle developed by the big three?
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mlhm5 9:05AM (7/25/2007)
Isn't it just like the Big Three to have big ideas and never follow through?
Neither GM, Ford or Chrysler will be marketing a clean diesel sedan in either 2008 or 2009 and Ford has publicly stated that they will not market diesels. GM has publicly stated that they have pulled out of the hybrid market and the future is hydrogen and despite what GM says I have grave reservations of the VOLT ever being marketed.
IMO, after the model years 2008 and 2009 Detroit, will be so far behind MB, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda not to mention Korea, that they will never recover despite getting everything they demanded from the federal government for 20 years.
Talk about a failure of management.
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fd 9:57AM (7/25/2007)
I would love a plug-in diesel hybrid!
With a solar panel on the roof ;)
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Polling Paulie 10:10AM (7/25/2007)
Gotta remember that what people say isn't always what they do. It's why polls like the one mentioned above have to be taken with a grain of salt. People tend to say what they think someone else wants to hear. But when it actually comes down to doing, well, that's a whole different matter.
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jcwinnie 11:35AM (7/25/2007)
I agree with you that small diesel range extender for a plug-in hybrid system seems the way to go. But for NOW rather than "for the long run." Yes it is what the Big 3 each came up with in the 1990s.
So it ain't the 1990s anymore. A solution needs to be found for the 20-30% of drivers that need mostly highway performance. Plain diesel still has the advantage, especially those more efficient, cleaner engines that can come in under 120 CO2 g/kg.
Some carmaker needs to find a way quickly to make a composite shell that stores regenerative braking which then lessens the weight disadvantage of the alternate energy storage in cars driving mostly highway miles. Then those vehicles get the regen advantage and some gains when in stop and go traffic.
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amg 2:56PM (7/27/2007)
I've been waiting for a topic like this to come up. Does anyone know or has anyone seen research to suggest that a diesel-electric hybrid of the type used on many trains could be a feasible and economical option for a new type of hybrid? The diesel could run continuously at its most efficient speed and generate electricity to power the electric motor. Seems to me that this would be an option worth exploring, if would be feasible and efficient.
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