69 MPG VW Golf TDI Hybrid

Here's part of an article from Ecogeek.  To read the full piece, go here.

VW has gone ahead and approved its Jetta diesel hybrid concept, hoping to turn the car into a legitimate Prius competitor. The car will likely be roomier and zippier than the Prius, both advantages coming from its use of diesel instead of gasoline.

Diesel, which contains more energy per gallon and also produces less CO₂, can improve mileage significantly on its own. Adding a hybrid component to the car really moves up mileage numbers. Unfortunately, diesels require advanced and expensive engines to keep pollutant emissions low. VW already charges $2,000 extra for its diesel models. Add onto that the cost of regenerative braking and a hybrid drive train and suddenly this car is looking out of range.

One point that should be made is that a 69 mpg diesel hybrid will emit as much CO2 as a 60 mpg gasoline car (or hybrid).

That's still quite an improvement over the 47 mpg second-generation Prius, but probably well below the propesed 80 mpg (in the city) 3rd generation Prius, expected in 2009.  Plus I'm guessing the Prius will be cheaper.  Though to be fair, it appears that the 80 mpg estimates are assuming the next-gen Prius will be a plug-in, which the Golf hybrid will not.

Still, it's good to see diesel hybrids being made, since it gives the option of making a biodiesel/electric hybrid.

Edited by dana1981 - Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:42:30 UTC

I've been catching up on the week's posts over at AutoblogGreen, and here's just a little tid bit from them: the Golf TDI Hybrid "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." (ABG)

Well that is an impressive figure (second generation Prius has 104 g/km CO2 emissions, in comparison), but there's still the issue of NOx and particulate emissions.

VW has pussed out and scrapped plans for the Golf diesel Hybrid, saying it would be too expensive, so they're not going to make it.  It appears that they will instead make it a gas/electric hybrid, which will not get as impressive gas mileage.

Boo VW.  Boo.

Yeah that's pretty disappointing.  I'd like to see some diesel/electric hybrids out there, especially converted to run on waste vegetable oil.  That would be kickass.  Gas/electric hybrids are good and all, but that's old news!