Finally, a Hybrid i might get behind!

[manoverboard987]

link: Hybrid engine returns 82.9mpg







February 1, 2006

Hybrid engine returns 82.9mpg

Peugeot and Citroen have combined to produce a diesel-electric hybrid engine.

The 1.6-litre unit, called the Hybride, was unveiled in the Peugeot 307 and Citroen C4.

Both cars are capable of an astonishing 82.9mpg with only 90g/km of carbon dioxide emissions.

A standard 1.6-litre turbodiesel 307 or C4 is capable of 60mpg and 125g/km emissions.

The Hybride system uses the existing models' diesel engine coupled to an electric motor. The electric motor also works as a generator to charge the battery when the car is decelerating.

Both cars can be driven as purely electric or diesel, or with a combination of both power sources.

Citroen and Peugeot say the Hybride technology could be on sale in production cars by 2010 but that costs make would make it prohibitively expensive at the moment.
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I've been weary of hybrids up until now, especially since the point of one is to save a lot on gas costs, and the best Toyota (the widely-agreed-upon leader in the Hybrid market) can come up with is 55 MPG combined in the Prius. I mean, European Diesels in similar cars can get 60+.

So finally the European Diesel-making companies have determined how to really accomplish a hybrid drivetrain. 82 MPG! (Think TDI owners, that's twice your already awesome mileage!)

Plus, they look a whole lot better than the stinkin Prius (save the back of the Citroen).

Opinions? Thoughts?

[Papa Bug]

When do they come to the U.S.!!! Actually they don't look too bad. I like the Peugeot better. My daughter goes to college next year. It would be nice to get her something that gets that kinda gas mileage.

[mrbeetlebrain]

When you say get behind, do you mean pushing it back to the dealer?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/survey/last_10.shtml

Top Gear survey of the most 159 reliable makes and models in Britain for 2005, above is the last 10.

[licibug]

So, when I first started looking for a new car I was interested in getting good gas mileage and something less poluting.

My first idea was to get a hybrid, but I would still have to fill it with gasoline. The following is what sold me on a TDI:
*safety
*efficiency
*biodiesel option
*costs
*endurance

This sealed the deal for me and I decided that a VW TDI was what I wanted. The beetle is just the cutest, so I went with that (green of course ). A no brainer in the end.


I would have loved to get a hybrid biodiesel! American companys need to step up and offer a smarter burning vehicle. It has certainly been long enough! Cars (& transportation) have evolved so slowly considering all the advances that have been made in the world.
(I blame big oil.)

I think that things are looking favorably considering the state of the world and the push of the consumers when weighing their options.

My point, I'm pleased. BTW, Sprout is on her first tank of biodiesel! She smells great!

[Fowvay]

What scares me is that they will probably have all the reliability of a Peugeot and the build quality and driveability of a Citroen... Yawn

[manoverboard987]

thanks everyone for all the good points.

personally, i'm still holding out for the VW EcoRacer...

[squeebug]

it's about time that somebody put a diesel with a hybrid. but until i have no choise, I won't get one

[Porkchop]

The EcoRacer is also a diesel hybrid, so we won't get it in the U.S. either.

If Bush was serious about what he said in his State of the Union address, he would create incentives for a nationwide biodiesel distribution network. But, I guess the oil companies don't own many soybean fields.

[madjalapeno]

Amazing how few diesels there are over here compared to Europe.

I was in Holland about 18 years ago and even then there were a lot of alternative fuel vehicles - lots of cars ran on LPG, not to mention all the bicycles everywhere.

[TechnoTrix'd]

Now here is a hybrid that I would drive:

Pics of the build from the School Web Site

Write-up on the Auto Channel web-site

Official School District Press release

This car was put together by a High School Auto-Tech program in Philadelphia. Every (I mean EVERY) major automobile manufacture should hang their head in shame over this one gang.

0-60 in 4 sec's, and gets 60mpg...

If a group of inter-city "kids" can produce a hybrid that performs like this, than the big guy's are definately not doing so on purpose.

No other excuses...TechnoTrix'd...

BTW, they used a VW 1.9 TDI engine as the bio-sourced power plant combined with an electric engine in the front. Off the shelf stuff...