Why do hybrids not use diesel engines

Rotty

Rotty

Rotty

Don
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
42,050
Location
Notts
sure there is a logical answer, was just wondering as an hybrid with a diesel engine would appeal to the tightwads and hippies :confused:
 
iirc some are (vw, honda, mercedes and bmw supposedly did one), it's just the main advertised ones are petrol.
 
I think 90% of it is emissions. Petrol engines tend to also be more refined and smoother making the start/stop stuff easier?
 
There'd be a large change in engine noise if it suddenly came on. I.e. from none to combine harvester. Maybe it scares people, I don't know. Perhaps you should ask someone in the know, not sure if anyone on OcUK works where they decide to make these things or not.
 
Because Americans hold a deep distrust for diesel engined road cars, so if Toyota built the Prius with a diesel engine then they couldn't sell it to the celebrity crowd in California.
 
It wouldn't appeal to the tightwads as they are expensive cars also here in the UK the 3% BIK makes a petrol hybrid just as good on company car rates.

They are too expensive to integrate EU6 etc emission cleaning with hybrid parts on anything other than premium brands.

America and Japan are not fans of diesel as a fuel so you design your product to suit intented markets.

VW and many others will be seeing diesel hybrids. Some will be offeirng products in both diesel and petrol derivatives and beleive me for post 2015 petrol is a lot more straightforward to clean the emissions of.

No sure what you mean by intended purpose? They are a product a company sell to make money. As far as peak oil is concerns you may aswell have 35mpg petrols and 70mpg diesels anyway.
 
Diesel hybrids are on their way in numbers, they've just taken longer to arrive. They'll follow the petrol vs. diesel curve and in 5 years, most hybrids sold will be diesels.
 
Robbie G said:
Diesel hybrids are on their way in numbers, they've just taken longer to arrive. They'll follow the petrol vs. diesel curve and in 5 years, most hybrids sold will be diesels.
Click to expand...

No they won't. Small - family car size wont accept the cost premium yet. The timescale you then talk about will factor the first generation of modern EV's and the start of the series hybrid, most slated with petrol engines or even alternatives due to their superiority as mobile generators.
 
I thought it was because equivalently powered diesel engines were bigger, heavier, more complex, and more expensive than their petrol counterpart.
 
Jonnycoupe said:
If that was the case products would already be on the market.
Click to expand...

Whilst they're still in the introduction stage of the lifecycle and the affect of costs of R&D absorption on retail prices are currently prohibitive to consumers, what I believe is that in five years, this won't be the case as they'll be in the growth phase and the cost of the tech will fall.
 
Surely diesel electrics are an excellent solution? Car always powered by electric motors on each wheel which are fed by a small diesel generator with batteries as a buffer/backup.
 
I think the authorities are finally waking up to the fact current petrol hybrids are neither particularly good on fuel nor in terms of emissions. Boris Jonson recently announced planned changes to London Congestion Charge rules, involving, among other things minimum emissions of 100g/km for full discount. And that would not only render current SUV hybrids outside the minimum spec, but also push all previous models of Prius and Honda Hybrids to pay full congestion charge. At which point I doubt anyone would invest in hybrids ever again, as current Prius, being yet again designed as overly expensive, minimum spec US car, is very unlikely to meet future EU standards.
 
Last edited:
v0n said:
At which point I doubt anyone would invest in hybrids ever again, as current Prius, being yet again designed as overly expensive, minimum spec US car, is very unlikely to meet future EU standards.
Click to expand...

What emission standards are they then? Im a bit confused as its the reason that diesel isnt yet taking grip in america particularly the CARB standards yet Prius etc is fine and the standard gear you get on the car is actually pretty decent compared?

Its the EU6 diesel that everyone is struggling with. So you might end up with a DPF SCR equipped diesel high pressure fuel turbo charged dual mass flywheeled hybrid electric car...... not cheap.

I think you have the wrong of the stick if you think the London congestion charge is the sole motivator for hybrids. The new legislation is based on 100g and meeting EU5. So in that sense the Prius 3 is still elligable, however my car at 80g/km is not as it doesn't have a EU5 emission standard certificate. I guess they have recognised hybrids still take up the space of a car and will be coming more popular so they simply need a more specific criteria for charge exception.

The Honda Insight has made a bit of a boo boo by not cracking 100g now, although if you register this year the exemption will last until December 2012.

If we all switched to diesel there would be some pretty impressive FP plants built to turn the excess petrol back into something for our cars and aeroplanes.
 
JRS said:
Because Americans hold a deep distrust for diesel engined road cars, so if Toyota built the Prius with a diesel engine then they couldn't sell it to the celebrity crowd in California.
Click to expand...

This.

Last time I was in the US, the only thing I ever saw diesel powered were trucks.

They massively hate diesel powered cars, as such, even as a hybrid, it wouldn't sell.

They are starting to realise you don't need a 6l V8 in your family saloon car, latest gen Civic is very popular
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom