REPORT: Toyota cancels European diesel project with Isuzu
After General Motors severed its ownership ties with Isuzu two years ago, the struggling Japanese automaker hooked up with Toyota. While Isuzu has never really made much of an impact in the car market, they have been successful in commercial vehicles, particularly with diesel engines. Toyota decided to tap that expertise to help develop a new small displacement diesel engine for the European market. Unfortunately, huge losses for Toyota this year have caused it to slash spending on many programs. One of the victims of the cutbacks has been that diesel program. Instead of a new 1.6-liter diesel, Toyota will focus on the technology it already has, specifically hybrids. While hybrid sales are still small in Europe, other manufacturers are moving in that direction so Toyota will try to defend its turf. At some point, if sales pick up enough, it may even start hybrid production at its European facilities. Thanks to Jarrett for the tip!
[Source: Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nrb 9:59AM (7/07/2009)
With the Ford/Toyota patent swap, will the mass media now claim that Toyota licenses it's diesel technology from Ford?
Also, didn't GM do a deal with Isuzu? Didn't it result in subpar vehicles?
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usbseawolf2000 11:34AM (7/07/2009)
This generation of hybrids are cheaper to produce than complex Diesel with more moving parts. Hybrids are returning as good or better MPG on the highway (Diesel's strong point). City MPG and low emissions are hybrid's advantage. It is important to note that a real-world highway traffic has congestions, accidents, constructions, etc... playing into hybrid's advantage.
Hybrids already meet tougher future (10+ years) emission standard already while "Clean Diesel" is struggling to meet today's standard. This means there will be more cost to the Diesel in the future.
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Bill 5:50PM (7/08/2009)
"This generation of hybrids are cheaper to produce than complex Diesel with more moving parts."
Not for the most efficient (full) hybrids.
The retail price difference between (comparable trim) gasser Jetta and the Jetta TDi is less than the cost of the traction battery alone for the Prius.
HSD may be a technically elegant system, but it is not cheap.