Is there a Prius diesel engine coming?

limklad

Two Questions?
Does anyone know if Toyota is producing a version of the Prius combined with their diesel engine?

Can the present New diesel engines from various manufactures run bio-diesel? (with minor mods such as pre-heating block and additional filters of course)

The reason I asking is
1/. New Diesel engines are far more fuel efficient that the petrol ones. It makes sense to change the engine in the Prius to diesel and you get a lot more gallons per mile.

2/. If Oil runs out or the PRICE increase rapidly, can we use our bio-diesel or rap seed oil in the new diesel engines (in which we can grow here in Ireland and creating more jobs here).
If so I would buy one (Prius or the Honda version) instead of new diesel car. It will save more money in the long run and good for the environment. I think that the new EU targets is way too easy on car manufacturer.
Our government is way too slow in encouraging us to change our fuel type for our cars, which petrol and diesel has become one of the highest pollutes. If we keep going the same way then we will pay more than our mortgages every month in fines. :eek: Also Competition will be worst than it will be now and we lose a lot more jobs at this rate. :eek: There no point in hitting the developing countries if we slow to react ourselves.
We should lead and react quickly not lag behind.

Max_Damage

I remember reading somewhere (maybe it was here, can't remember) that Peugeot are apprently developing a diesel/electric hybrid.

NiSmO

This post has been deleted.

Max_Damage

Peugeot diesel hybrid:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/01/psa_peugeot_cit.html

69mpg? Not great to be honest.

colm_mcm

Toyota recently bought a small chunk of Isuzu. I think the main problem with a diesel hybrid is cost. which doesn't seem like a major proble when the fuel enonomy aspect is considered. We'll have to wait and see!

TimG

Gm made a diesel hybrid version of the Astra a while back, they were claiming something like 70mpg also. One problem with diesel hybrids is that diesels already have a good part load efficiency (diesel engines are not throttled), so the electric motor does not have as big an effect on reducing the fuel consumption if it were on a petrol engine. Personally, I don't think the extra cost of putting an electic motor on an already expensive diesel engine will be worth the amount of fuel it saves.

richardsheil

In other words hybrids are useless!
Just buy a good diesel

limklad

Thanks for the response so far but no one answered the following question

Can the present New diesel engines from various manufactures run bio-diesel or any other type of fuel? (with minor mods such as pre-heating block and additional filters of course)

limklad

Max_Damage wrote:

Peugeot diesel hybrid:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/01/psa_peugeot_cit.html

69mpg? Not great to be honest.

Needs more investigation why they are not great. Could it be the electric system is not as good as the prius?

limklad

colm_mcm wrote:

Toyota recently bought a small chunk of Isuzu. I think the main problem with a diesel hybrid is cost. which doesn't seem like a major proble when the fuel enonomy aspect is considered. We'll have to wait and see!

1/.
If you compare the price of a standard new diesel engine with a new petrol engine and look at the saving running on diesel.

2/. The possiblity of using another fuel source ie bio-diesel or rap seed oil.


It is my understanding that the prius electric motors and not mechanical intervention for moving and it uses the engine as a electric generator, so I don't understand why not have a diesel engine?

As for the diesel-prius, the saving that can be clawed back on fuel costs alone and the environment impact would be minimal in comparisons to other new cars (Note to those parked and doing stop/start motions on the M50 and other Parking lots around the country)
I would go for it as I would know with the mileage that I will soon be doing as it would claw back the costs in the long term.

maidhc

limklad wrote:

Thanks for the response so far but no one answered the following question

Can the present New diesel engines from various manufactures run bio-diesel or any other type of fuel? (with minor mods such as pre-heating block and additional filters of course)

Up to 5% with no modification is recommended. Probably 15-20% is manageable. That is with "real" biodiesel, not waste chip oil or the like.

Running a modern diesel completely on biodiesel will kill it. Although if you like using your car as a guinea pig like this this californian then go for it :
http://getoffoil.blogspot.com/

colm_mcm

limklad wrote:

1/.
If you compare the price of a standard new diesel engine with a new petrol engine and look at the saving running on diesel.

2/. The possiblity of using another fuel source ie bio-diesel or rap seed oil.


It is my understanding that the prius electric motors and not mechanical intervention for moving and it uses the engine as a electric generator, so I don't understand why not have a diesel engine?

As for the diesel-prius, the saving that can be clawed back on fuel costs alone and the environment impact would be minimal in comparisons to other new cars (Note to those parked and doing stop/start motions on the M50 and other Parking lots around the country)
I would go for it as I would know with the mileage that I will soon be doing as it would claw back the costs in the long term.

Prius is aimed largely at USA, where diesel isn't too popular to start with

embraer170

Max_Damage wrote:

Peugeot diesel hybrid:

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/01/psa_peugeot_cit.html

69mpg? Not great to be honest.

That's 69mpg US which is about 82 of our mpg.

colm_mcm

embraer170 wrote:

That's 69mpg US which is about 82 of our mpg.

but don't Octavia TDI's do that kind of economy anyway? :rolleyes:

Max_Damage

colm_mcm wrote:

Prius is aimed largely at USA, where diesel isn't too popular to start with

That's becasue the Yanks had bad experiences with the Oldsmobile V8 diesel back in the 70's during the oil crisis. They were based on the petrol V8's, and they were notorious for breaking down. Since then, diesel cars have left a poor reputation in America.

Also, due to the high sulphur content of diesel in America, most diesel cars would fail strict emissions tests that they have over there.