http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/ Autoblog Comments for New fuel economy report to finally recommend diesels and hybrids for first time http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Hydrogen still just isnt viable. The costs to make the membranes are just too high.]]>Feb 22nd 2008 7:40PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
The technology is available today, no change is needed to our national fueling infrastructure and we would sending our $ billions to American farmers and refiners instead of to Middle Eastern oil sheiks.

This better be at the top of the next administration’s public policy agenda.
]]>Feb 22nd 2008 7:42PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
And bio diesel - you know what happened to ethanol? you do realize how bio diesel is produced in USA and Europe? You probably dont.

And if you are talking about something like Volt with diesel engine, that technology certainly does NOT exist now.

To the article writer - reason they didnt reccomend all electric or hydrogen is because... guess what - you cant buy them now.]]>Feb 22nd 2008 8:38PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Series hybrids offer huge improvements in gas mileage because they generate energy at peak efficiency. And yes that does mean a car like the Volt, however the big stumbling block for the Volt is the battery pack being able to store enough energy to go 40 miles without any gas; if you were to skip the battery all together and just run 4 in hub electric motors off of a constant generated stream of electricity you could achieve better than current MPG figures.

Trains have been doing this for year and they don't have massive battery packs, the generate electricity on board with diesel generators as needed.

Biodiesel has been shown to return more energy than it takes to make and has the added bonus of being carbon neutral AND can be made from current waste products to supplement regular diesel refined from crude. And it is not produced the same way as ethanol.

Try doing a little digging before you start proclaiming you are the know all of car and green tech.]]>Feb 22nd 2008 9:32PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Hum, maybe I should brush up on my version of "the world according to the United States" or something.

(spoiler: your main providers aren't Arabs anymore)]]>Feb 22nd 2008 11:47PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Anyways, I do take issue with your idea on a series hybrid without battery packs. Its an interesting idea, but one that hasn't been tested ON CARS (that I know of). Light cars may perform very differently than trains (and large off-road machinery). Besides, if you run less than 40 miles per day, you don't use any fuel (practically). But cost goes up.

I'd like to see a series hybrid car without batteries just to test this...but not on an amateur level.]]>Feb 22nd 2008 11:53PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
It is also nuts that you believe biodiesel is carbon neutral. So all the tractors and trucks in the distribution run B100, they clear no land to grow it, and they don't use fertilizers derived from fossil fuels? Right.]]>Feb 23rd 2008 12:29AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Reality wise diesel cars are too expensive and would take years to recover the additional cost of the car/truck for the average consumer. Additonally, diesel fuel last I looked was 70-cents more per gallon compared with the base lead free gas.

When diesels become more common the prices for diesel fuel will continue to rise because profit at the expensive of consumers is the American way unfortunately.]]>Feb 23rd 2008 8:06AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
And hub motors? Come on people... Can you say unsprung weight? I'm all for purpose built, but let's remember that real world cars that people will buy are compromises. Let's also keep in mind the quality of many of the roads we drive on. I already fear for my wheels and tires at times. I don't want to worry about my drive motors bouncing through those potholes too. I wonder what the 4 inch deep piles of salt I drive through in central Illinois would do to my motor...]]>Feb 23rd 2008 10:06AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Europeans.]]>Feb 22nd 2008 7:56PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/

...might as well beat the losers to it.]]>Feb 22nd 2008 10:32PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
And, while I'm at it, "Europeans who get the BEST FORD FOCUSES".]]>Feb 22nd 2008 10:35PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/Feb 22nd 2008 11:47PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/Feb 23rd 2008 1:44PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
No, I don't think they are forgetting. The report is likely referring to what can actually make a large scale difference right now. I wouldn't call it behind the times at all for hybrids - volumes weren't very significant until recently, and that was for a reason. ]]>Feb 23rd 2008 12:42AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
I can drive the new Jetta diesel coming this fall, thrash the heck out of it, and get as good or better mileage than a Prius.

The Prius _must_ to be driven like a little old lady's behind the wheel to get its best mileage - thrash it, and one might as well have bought a Corolla.]]>Feb 23rd 2008 9:40AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
Anyway, the Fiat group has petrol engines of 1400cc, with turbos, producing exactly the same bhp as their turbo-Diesel 1910cc motors. The range is between 120 and 150 bhp. The diesels are roughly 10-15mpg (UK) more economical. The new Diesel 1600s havent't been released here yet, but they will improve in these figures. Other factors need including, however, when overall cost of ownership is calculated.]]>Feb 23rd 2008 11:41AMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
There are definitely some who'll buy the turbo motor, and as fuel prices continue to rise I'm sure the market for such engines will as well. Another shortcoming of the lower-torque turbo motor is that it's not as well suited to pushing an overweight "crossover" or SUV, and the US market is lousy with those. Check out the lovely economy of an RDX if you want to see what putting such an engine in a big lump gets you... if you're always in boost just to make the thing move, you're not gaining much by replacing a V6 with a turbo4. Until Americans are ready to buy cars the size of the Fiat Bravo, I think there's going to be a market for displacement here.]]>Feb 23rd 2008 12:35PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/22/new-fuel-economy-report-to-finally-recommend-diesels-and-hybrids/
The diesel's real advantage is exactly where the hybrid is weakest, long steady-state trips on open roads. It's also a poor choice for people who don't drive a lot of miles because they may never pay off the extra cost of a good diesel over an otto-cycle engine, unless they keep a car 15 years and get the durability benefit of the diesel (assuming good maintenance.)

Perhaps in 5 or 7 years, something like Volt v2.5 will bring us a series hybrid car that can run 50 or 60 miles on electricity alone in real-world conditions (e.g. operating the radio, heat or AC, DVD video narcotics for the kids in the back and the windshield wipers) at a cost under $30k. Until then I'm guessing the answer is always going to be "it depends."]]>Feb 23rd 2008 11:27AM