Honda Dumps Gasoline/Electric Hybrids for Diesels
No one can say I didn’t warn ‘em. I’ve been talking about this for a while on this blog, to anyone who’ll listen and to many that are smart enough not to. Diesels are a better solution to minimizing the drain on dead and rotting dinosaurs than gasoline engines, even when coupled with batteries and electric motors. According to AutoBlog, it looks like Honda gets it (I’d love to take credit for it, but I doubt any Honda employees read this blog) and is dumping the current hybrid technology in their popular midsize cars, including the Accord Hybrid, and replacing both the gerbil and it’s running wheel with a real motor - one solely motivated with black gold, Texas tea . . diesel fuel.
According to the post:
. . . Honda seems set to make it official. There will be no new Accord Hybrid in their lineup. Instead the North American market will get a diesel Accord to fight the mileage wars.”
It looks like the diesel engine of choice will be a 2L+ size, 4-cylinder motor using the new ultra-clean diesel fuels that meet California’s strict Tier II / Bin 5 standards. As you’d expect from California, these are the toughest diesel emission standards in the world. This engine should offer more torque than the current V6 hybrid (lower HP, though - it does have two fewer cylinders), with better fuel economy. While the first engine will be a 4-cylinder, it looks like Honda will back it up with a V6 offering more torque and power while remaining on a petrol diet.
The new Honda engine will be available in 2009 cars. Start looking for diesels from other manufacturers passing you while you’re refilling your Prius starting next year.
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Wow! I always wondered why Big3 don’t adopt diesel which got a very good traction in Europe. Especially Chrysler (back to its marriage with Mercedes) could capitalize on this technology. Interesting what others car makers will do in this regard.
Roman,
I don’t know if you recall, but Detroit did do a diesel gig in the late 70s/early 80s. As you would expect, though, they did it badly. Additionally, diesel wasn’t (still isn’t) available everywhere gas was sold, so Americans didn’t latch onto the idea. Environmentalists did all they could at the same time to kill it. With so many forces against it, it died. We’ll see how/if Detroit reacts this time.