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Old 01-03-2008, 06:05 AM   #19
bal00
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Member#: 54772
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brickhoss View Post
Why hasn't any automaker designed a diesel hybrid? Doesn't that seem to make sense?
Gassers benefit from the electric drivetrain because they're rather inefficient at part throttle. So with a hybrid instead of "choking" the engine, you turn it off altogether and use the electric motor or you run it at higher load and use the rest of the power to charge the batts. Diesels don't have a throttle, so they're not as inefficient at part throttle in the first place, which means the mileage gains would be smaller compared to a gasser.

Cost is an issue, too. Diesel engines with their high pressure direct injection systems and beefy bottom ends/drivetrains aren't cheap, adding batteries and electric motors would make things worse. Can't hide those costs in a compact car, so it would have to be something more along the lines of an E- or S-class, and as Lexus has proven with the GSh and LSh, current hybrid technology makes very little sense in high-powered vehicles like these.
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