Hybrid? Who needs a Hybrid?
Last week I wrote about Honda pulling the plug on the U.S. only hybrid Accord, a car which produced plenty of power, but not fantastic fuel economy. A day or two after making that post, I was doing a non-work-related search and came across Honda's clean-diesel Accord, which will be available in the U.S. by 2010. The power of a diesel engine, with a whopping 62.8 mpg highway fuel economy. SWEET!
Honda has sold diesel powered Accords in Europe for several years, but this new engine, announced last fall, meets even the most stringent emissions requirements in the United States, through the use of a NOx catalytic converter that "detoxifies" nitrogen oxide by turning it into nitrogen.
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Comments (5)
Laura,
62.8 mpg on a diesel, Awesome!
But if the price point is something like 30% more than the gas powered version there is no saving for the consumer.
A price point that lets the consumer realize savings within 2 years would really be awesome.
Doubt that will happen though.
Posted by john | June 11, 2007 11:25 AM
High mileage clean burning diesels have been sold in Europe for nearly a decade. The price delta vs. gasoline should be minimal when they hit the US market.
Posted by Patrick Henry | June 11, 2007 4:34 PM
I have always been a believer in the diesel engine. My full size truck has an Isuzu diesel in it. It gets better milage than the gas engine, but the payback is 6 to 7 years. I bought it because it is a better truck engine. Diesels have come a long way. I hope Califonia gets real and reduces their standards so auto makers will offer more diesel options for their cars. It is time to turn back the archaic diesel laws so we can make real progress on gas consumption. Hybrids are expensive and dirty to make. It may make you feel good to drive a Prius, but you greenies should trade it in for a Hummer, if you want to fly that mother earth flag. Those batteries will kill you!
Posted by jon | June 13, 2007 7:08 AM
A good argument for high-mileage vehicles here-
http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2656034.ece
If this theory is true, automobile CO2 emissions will take care of themselves in the near future.
Posted by Patrick Henry | June 15, 2007 10:28 AM
I went to this blog to see if there is any clarity about global warming. I found little.
1. No context. ( How warm or cool are we now compared to a time span beginning with say the trilobites?)
2. In terms of recent geological history we seem to be in an inter-glacial period. IS the so? Why or not? If so is anyone surprised we are warming?
3. How do you take the temperature of the earth? The last time I researched this topic there was no agreement that I could find and several methods contending.
4. What are the sources of heat for the earth? What is the size of each, in calories? What about the relative size of each factor?
5. Has anyone attempted to see if an extra terrestrial reason is plausible? For example, "Is the earth passing through a stronger region of magnetic fields?" Or has the sun been emitting more energy now and in the recent past?
6. Computer models are but quantative opinion generators. What is done to assess the range and domain of reasonable computer model output possibilities? (In engineering terms, what "sanity tests" have been constructed; which ones could be conducted and haven't.)
Frankly, one could conjecture that all the hot air around this topic could be a major factor if one conceded that global warming existed. Or, is global warming more properly viewed as the philosophical devil of this generation?
Posted by Dr. Ray Sandborgh | June 15, 2007 7:08 PM