To me this makes no sense. The electric motor is primarily a stop and go driving thing, with conservation of power from regenerative braking. All good stuff.
And yes a stratified charge, variable valve timing, spark ignition engine is nice. But it is still a spark ignition engine!!! And on the highway, this is want is needed to move.
VW manages 42-46 mpg highway from its 90hp diesel. The Prius has 70hp. Presumably a smaller diesel would be even more efficent. And the VWs are a brick relative to the Prius.
Ultimately, the diesel uses only enough fuel to make exactly the power it needs where a spark ignition always has to inject enough fuel for combustion.
Are diesel/electric hybrids the thing of the future? Were the railways of the 1950's a harbinger of things to come???
And yes a stratified charge, variable valve timing, spark ignition engine is nice. But it is still a spark ignition engine!!! And on the highway, this is want is needed to move.
VW manages 42-46 mpg highway from its 90hp diesel. The Prius has 70hp. Presumably a smaller diesel would be even more efficent. And the VWs are a brick relative to the Prius.
Ultimately, the diesel uses only enough fuel to make exactly the power it needs where a spark ignition always has to inject enough fuel for combustion.
Are diesel/electric hybrids the thing of the future? Were the railways of the 1950's a harbinger of things to come???