Click the new Mercedes diesel for a high res gallery
Sure, diesels are already widely available all over the world. One reason is that diesel engines are simply more efficient than gasoline engines. Consider the fact that a diesel engine is capable of running on biodiesel and green-minded drivers can make a strong argument in diesel's favor. Perhaps what is most important, though, is that diesel vehicles would require no major changes to the current energy infrastructure, meaning that diesel-powered vehicles could be one of the simplest possible ways to reduce the amount of oil that the world consumes. Holding them back, though, are costly exhaust after-treatment technologies that are needed to put the clean into clean diesel. Since these systems are less expensive than some of the rest of the items on our list, diesel engines fall right in the middle of the pack.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche told Motor Trend this week that increased cost was not going to be an issue for his company to meet new fuel economy standards. Obviously getting improved efficiency out of powertrains would make them more expensive as they have to meet U.S. CAFE and European CO2 emissions limits. However, while U.S. executives like Bob Lutz are talking about adding $5,000 or more to the price to meet 35mpg standards, Zetsche looks at it differently. The use of clean diesels, HCCI DiesOtto engines, hybrids and fuel cells will raise prices. The higher initial purchase price will be offset for customers through reduced operating costs. According to Zetsche, if the cost premium can be recovered through fuel savings in the first 3-4 years of driving than customers will be satisfied. Mercedes also intends to protect their ten percent profit margins through increased efficiencies in other areas of the vehicle. That probably means that Mercedes owners will give up some features for improved efficiency. Of course for a premium brand like Mercedes, it's a lot easier to talk about protecting margins than it is for mainstream brands like GM and Ford. Being largely rid of the burden of Chrysler probably doesn't hurt either. Finally Zetsche says an S-Class diesel hybrid will debut in two years with DiesOtto engines about 3-5 years out.
French motor magazine l'Auto Journal has published pictures of the prototype of the new C4 that is coming in 2010. Besides the new styling themes, which eliminate parallel lines, the new model is built on the same platform as the current C4 and with similar proportions. Interviewed by French newspaper Le Figaro, Christian Streiff, PSA's CEO spoke about the new technical evolutions in the new C4. There is a mild hybrid system (called a micro-hybrid) with the Stop&Start system and Streiff mentioned a full-time hybrid diesel for the mid-range models.
PSA, which is one of the world leaders in diesel powertrains, is also investing in gasoline powertrains. A downsized 3-cylinder turbo engine will be unveiled during the upcoming Paris Auto Show, along with the French marque's version of double-clutch transmission, which should be much less expensive than VW's. Check out the current model C4 in our gallery.
We have featured lots of electric car conversions here on AutoblogGreen but until now there hasn't been very much in the way of hybrid conversions. Connaught Engineering, devisors of the hot little Type D hybrid (which should begin series production later this year) have taken the technology from their car and tweaked it to be retro-fitted to existing vehicles. An interesting proposition indeed.
According to a press release (PDF) on their website, Tesco is going to give the Connaught HYBRID+ system a go, starting with seven diesel Ford Transits. Over a period of six months, the home delivery vans will be tested thoroughly and if the results are favorable it is expected that Tesco will hybridize their entire Transit stable. Duncan Vavangas of Tesco is quoted as saying that the company is dedicated to reducing their carbon output and "transport is a key area and in addition to supporting new vehicle technologies we are keen to embrace affordable retro fit systems that save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions on our current fleet of home delivery vehicles." Tesco can back up their commitment to new energy-saving vehicle technology with evidence from their use of Modec all-electric trucks.
The Connaught Engineering HYBRID+ system avoids the use of heavy batteries and combines regenerative braking with super capacitors to reduce fuel use by 25 percent. The system will be on display at the Commercial Vehicle Show in the NEC in Birmingham, England from April 15-17.
We been hearing for several weeks now that Mahindra & Mahindra would probably be displaying their new diesel hybrid powertrain at the SAE World Congress next week and now we have official confirmation. Mahindra won't actually have a booth at the conference but will be on hand at the FEV booth. FEV is an engineering company that helps automakers develop their powertrains. FEV and Mahindra today announced that the two companies are working together to accelerate the development of a hybrid system for the Appalachian pickup and Scorpio SUV. The two trucks will hit the U.S. market in 2009 with a conventional 2.2L turbodiesel power-plant. The press release from FEV indicates the diesel hybrid will launch in Asia first. Global Vehicles USA, the American distributor for Mahindra has previously told ABG that the hybrid will be coming to the U.S. in 2010.
The hybrid system will be a full parallel hybrid utilizing a 30kW electric motor and 2.3kWh nickel metal hydride battery. FEV's release indicates that all the functionality expected of a hybrid will be on hand, including electric drive, electric boost, auto start-stop and regenerative braking. Mahindra CTO Dr. Arun Jaura will also be on hand and ABG will be sitting down to chat with him during the show to learn more.
Peugeot may well be the first team to run a hybrid vehicle at Le Mans and it looks like it will be a diesel, too. New Peugeot CEO recently told the French paper L'Equipe that a diesel-hybrid prototype is currently under development and that it may make some trial runs as soon as this June at Le Mans. Collin also said the car would begin racing in 2009. Peugeot Sport team manager Serge Saulnier, however, is being a little more cautious, acknowledging that a diesel hybrid is in the works. However, Saulnier would not confirm when the car would appear in public. Peugeot has already shown several diesel hybrid concepts based on production 307s and 308s and has acknowledged that they are planning to introduce such a powertrain in the next few years. Toyota may also be making a return to Le Mans as soon as 2010 possibly with a gas-electric hybrid. Let's just hope they bring some of these cars over to the American Le Mans Series and really spice things up.
We are extremely pleased that Volkswagen was able to achieve such phenomenal fuel mileage and emissions numbers from their Golf TDI Hybrid. As a refresher, the machine uses a 1.2 liter three-cylinder diesel engine paired with a 26 horsepower electric motor and returns 69 U.S. mpg and 89 g/km of CO2 emissions in the EU combined cycle. As we've reported, the car is slated for production in Europe, but what about the U.S.? Don't we need cars that deliver high mileage and low emissions here too? Of course we do, but the question that needs to be asked is whether American drivers are ready to pay for the technology required to make these numbers a reality.
The Toyota Prius has set the standard for what consumers expect from green cars, and it is priced rather well - less than $25 grand, well equipped. Diesel vehicles have never sold as well in the States as they do in Europe, despite their fuel mileage increases. This is due, partly, to the added cost that comes with a diesel vehicle in order to meet emissions requirements. Keith Price, a spokesman for VW USA says,"From a consumer standpoint, it comes down to 'What kind of compromise do I need to live with to enjoy all this wonderfulness?'" Price is one compromise that is hard to get around, as VW's diesels already cost about $2,000 more than gasoline models. Add in what the hybrid system will cost on top of that and the Golf... um, I mean Rabbit TDI Hybrid may price itself out of the market. We sincerely hope not.
Diesel hybrids are popping up everywhere in Geneva this week from Volkswagen to Mercedes-Benz to BMW. One notable exception is Toyota. The hybrid pioneer has never shown a diesel hybrid and according to Katsuaki Watanabe, the company's president they have no plans to offer one. The problem lies in the fact that diesel engines are inherently more expensive than gasoline units and adding in the cost of a hybrid system would make them uncompetitive in terms of cost. Interestingly, most of the diesel hybrids being displayed in Switzerland right now are of the mild hybrid variety rather than the strong hybrid types that Toyota uses.
Mild hybrids have smaller less powerful motors that aren't integrated into the transmission the way a full hybrid typically is. They can be paired up more easily with different engines and transmissions. While they don't offer the potential for as much electric only running, they do provide electric assist and start stop functionality and at a lower cost. Perhaps if Toyota had a less costly (and somewhat less functional) mild hybrid system in their portfolio, they would be considering diesel hybrids. However, just because we haven't seen something like that yet it doesn't mean we won't. Toyota spends a lot on R&D, much of which is never seen in public until they are good and ready. Toyota certainly isn't shying away from hybrid technology in general.
Mercedes-Benz has just released details of the new Vision GLK BlueTec Hybrid concept they'll be showing at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The concept that's coming to Switzerland builds on the GLK Freeside we saw in Detroit by adding a mild hybrid system to the 2.2L four cylinder BlueTec diesel. The mild hybrid system is a modular setup that puts an electric motor between the engine's flywheel and the transmission. The combined output of the powertrain goes from the 168hp of the original GLK to 224hp with a total torque output of 413lb-ft. That's enough to move this compact SUV to 100km/h in 7.3 sec while sipping diesel at the rate of 5.9L/100km or 40mpg (U.S.). Carbon dioxide is emitted at 157g/km while nitrogen oxides are minimized with the use of AdBlue (urea) injection in the exhaust stream. As a mild hybrid system the motor provides auto start/stop capability, regenerative braking and electric power boost with energy stored in a lithium ion battery. For the press release, follow us past the jump.
Mercedes-Benz debuted the new GLK compact SUV at the Detroit Auto Show in January with a 2.2L four-cylinder Bluetec diesel. For its European coming out party in Geneva, the company will reportedly fit the GLK with a diesel-hybrid powertrain. According to Automotive News, the concept will use a 204 hp 3.2L diesel V6 with a 20 hp electric motor. The motor's size implies that this is the mild hybrid system that Mercedes developed with BMW. It seems more likely Mercedes will use the same 2.2L four cylinder that was shown in Detroit. The mild hybrid system is expected to debut on production vehicles in 2009, although at this point, it's unknown when diesel hybrids will launch.
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Mercedes-Benz Vision GLK Freeside
After being all about diesel at the Detroit Auto Show this year, it looks like BMW is going the next step by adding in hybrid technology next month at the Geneva. A new X5-based concept, apparently called the Vision EfficientDynamics, will be on display and it will employ the mild-hybrid system that BMW is developing in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. In this application, BMW has combined the system with the 201 hp 2.0L twin turbo diesel used in the 123d. Based on the diagram you see above, the hybrid system uses a 120V lithium ion battery that doesn't appear to be much larger than a regular 12V car battery. Electric assist comes from a 15kW motor paired up with an 8-speed automatic transmission. A solar roof is apparently used to pre-heat the transmission fluid, presumably to improve efficiency during cold starts. Mercedes already showed several vehicles equipped with this same mild hybrid system at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September and it's expected to go into production in 2009.
Indian car-maker Mahindra & Mahindra had previously announced plans to enter the U.S. market in 2009 with its Scorpio SUV and Appalachian pickup truck with diesel power. Our pal Mike over at PickupTruck.com has been in contact with John Perez, CEO of Global Vehicles USA, the importer who will be bringing in Mahindra's products. It turns out the company is planning to move beyond just diesel. In 2010, Mahindra plans to offer a hybrid system mated with the diesel. If they do make it to market by 2010, Mahindra will likely be the first production diesel hybrid in a light duty application. So far the only diesel hybrids on American Roads are the big transit buses now running many cities.
Global Vehicles spokesman John Reinan told ABG that they didn't have any details yet on the nature of the hybrid system that appear on the Indian trucks. They had only received word the day before from the manufacturer that the hybrid version would appear one year after the standard diesel version. For what it's worth, the Senior VP of Product Development at Mahindra is Dr. Arun Jaura. Prior to joining Mahindra a couple of years ago, Dr. Jaura worked at Ford where he was the Head of Vehicle Engineering for Ford's Escape Hybrid Platform, so he is quite familiar with hybrid technology. According Reinan, the target base price for the 2- and 4-door pickup trucks is in the low-twenties with the SUV starting in the mid-twenties. The hybrid is expected to have a price premium of no more than $5,000 (before tax credits). The U.S.-version of Mahindra's new mHawk 2.2L four cylinder engine should produce around 145-150hp with 300lb-ft of torque which should be more than adequate for the mid-size trucks. The engine was developed with help from Bosch and powertrain engineering specialists AVL.
[Sources: PickupTruck.com and Global Vehicles USA]
As I wrote earlier today, new car buyers in the U.S. are more in favor of hybrids than diesels - by a huge margin. Over at The Car Connection, we find some comments by GM's vice chairman Bob Lutz that are in alignment with the KBB study. Lutz's view is that diesels won't appeal to American buyers. The reason is price. Lutz said:
Frankly in the United States, with diesel fuel the same price as (gasoline), I don't think that many Americans are going to pay a $3,000 or $4,000 premium for a modern diesel engine. On top of the normal diesel premium, you now have advanced emission systems. Unless we decide to eat the cost, which unfortunately we can't afford to do, I think customers are going to say, 'Wait a minute. At equal fuel prices I'm paying $4,000 more for this.' It will not be like Germany.
So, the strike against diesels is the cost. Instead of the oil burners, Lutz predicts, customers will drive green through flex-fuel vehicles. Convenient, considering that GM just announced a big cellulosic ethanol deal with Coskata. Still, we're getting a pretty good idea today of the image trouble diesels have in the U.S.
The video above shows us an early look at the Land Rover "baby" LRX concept before it debuts at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show this month. The video includes Land Rover's design director Gerry McGovern saying the LRX "clearly conveys messages that we take sustainability seriously." The LRX is the smallest SUV Land Rover has ever made and includes an green "economy mode" which makes the car's internal lighting literally turn green. The LRX will also have a diesel/electric hybrid power train and gets 40 miles per gallon. Wow, someone give Rover a bone!
The Mercedes S400 Bluetec diesel hybrid concept making its North American debut at the LA Auto Show this week isn't the company's first hybrid idea, but it is one of the best-looking, and the combination of diesel and electric power gets this luxury machine up to 40 mpg. Considering the size and power of the S400, that's a great number. Tell me again why automakers are so afraid of the 35 mpg CAFE standards when cars like this are (at least in concept form) possible.
Mercedes promises the V6 BLUETEC diesel engine under the S400's hood can deliver "the performance of a V8 with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder." If you're intrigued by the look and the performance of this car, hang on to your cash, as it won't be available until "after 2010." More after the jump.
