"Moovada", the first diesel-hybrid SUV

The University of Wisconsin-Madison placed second in Challenge X, a competition to develop a powerful, fuel-efficient SUV. Unlike many of its competitors, the Wisconsin-Madison team opted to use a diesel engine instead of a regular gasoline engine. This provided the SUV - a donated Chevrolet Equinox - with more torque while still maintaining higher gas mileage. The electric part of the hybrid system also ran continuously: current hybrids only run their electric halves to start the engine, provide additional power, or when the vehicle is moving slowly. The SUV, named "Moovada", had an estimated 35 miles-per-gallon range, far superior to current SUVs' 15 to 25 mpg range.  "Moovada" will be competing in 2007 in the third year of the Challenge X competition.

Related: Virginians win second year 2006 Challenge X hybrid SUV contests

[Source: TG Daily]