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Mahindra to hit the US market with with a diesel-hybrid pickup/SUV in 2010 {Autoblog Green}

Jun 19th 2009 11:08AM My grandfather is seeking a replacement for his 1990 Dodge Dakota Sport. This may be the answer; it's entirely overkill, but it has the ground clearance he is looking for. Plus the 30MPG highway (he'll never tow anything heavy with it) makes it a dream come true. The brand is well known in Ag states like TN and MS.

Having diesel VWs for a few years now, being in any car that gets less than 45MPG is just an insult. Heck our Diesel Jeep Liberty has a similar VM motor and it gets 29 highway all day long, about 20 in city (worst tank was 17 in the winter--all city).

This is nothing but good for the blue collar folks.

Five Reasons the Palm Pre Will Triumph {Asylum}

Jun 4th 2009 9:03AM There is a phone for people like us, it's called the Android. You know, powered by a Linux kernel, Java-like applets, can be tweaked to high heaven or left alone and just works...?

The Pre... it's Palm. I know what to expect: failure.

Honda changes course and switches from diesel back to hybrid {Autoblog Green}

Apr 6th 2009 10:34AM I own a VW diesel and a Jeep diesel. The VW gets refueled every 600 miles. The jeep every 400. These are with 1980 and 1990 designed motors that have been non-emissions required.

Lock yourself in a room with a no-cat diesel and a no-cat gas burner. You'll die in 3 hours or less from the gasoline, 30 years from cancer with the diesel. Rather no brainer argument to me.

Regardless at 3.50 a gallon the VW costs less than 9-cents per mile to operate with a lifespan of nearly 500,000 miles (based on our 1986 model golf that just won't die).

Diesel-electric, sign me up. Actually VWoA's new TN plant will be making those, VW canceled the original plan because importing them would be too expensive, building them on-site however is doable.

I work with 10 prius owners. We all drive on the highway. I do no worse than they do, with the exception that my vehicle can go nearly 300 miles farther on a long trip (like across the state of TN for $36 with current diesel prices) than they can; 53mpg is not uncommon on the highway with lower speed (not going above 65).

Honda will see new leadership, VW and Audi will dominate with their clean diesels. Le Mans, and the new E7 diesel cop car, have changed the idea that diesels are somehow slow and dirty.

Not to mention europe is split 50/50 on diesel vs gas cars.

Plugin hybrid? Do you really want the power grid to fail and everyone's rates to go sky high? Once we top 3% of the US autos being electric (1) you'll see a mileage tax (since you can't add a gas tax to electricity) and (2) everyone's rates will go up since there won't be such a thing as "off peak" hours anymore.

Diesel becoming more expensive than gasoline in Europe {Autoblog Green}

Jul 21st 2008 8:50AM Simple answer is move the heck out of Jersey.

Also if ALL oil was refined into diesel (there is nothing other than the demand of gasoline that prohibits that, except for plastics and polymers) there wouldn't be such strife.

Nothing is built or shipped without diesel's touch. In eruope, hardly anything but the rich would move. Wasn't the last fiure 51% of most europeans are driving a diesel-powered vehicle?

Something to consider. But then, they also ahve GTL and BTL (Gas and Biomass to Liquid fuels) that the US only talks about. The Athens taxi's from the 04 Olympics were all powered by clean sub-15ppm Sulfur GTL fuel by shell. It's nothing unusual there, but I think only 2 or 3 Shell stations in California and posisbly Texas sell GTL here... at about $2 more per gallon than the crude diesel counterpart, you get about 15% better diesel economy with it even under load.

Diesel-burning Hyundai on the way? {Autoblog}

Sep 11th 2007 1:46AM I drive a 2006 Jetta TDI. I have an airbag light, but it is a lose connection under the seat -- comparing this to my mothers 2002 Focus which had a throttle body and window washer motor in the first 20k miles -- this is trivial. I enjoy over 42MPG and run off Biodiesel, which totally eliminated the smelly, grimey comments. Even on Petroleum diesel the car smokes little and smells very little. Diesel engines offer far more torque, and are the reason why large trucks and big machines use diesel engines. The engine's roots lay in operating of peanut oil. A diesel-electric hybrid would be brining a 50-year old Locomotive technology to passenger cars.

Jeep has 4 Diesel models, Audi has one, VW has 2 or 3, Mercedes has 4. You cannot argue that ALL of these vehicles are flawed. Honda has announced the 2009 Accord has no hybrid, instead a V6 VTECH Diesel fetching I believe over 40MPG with an impressive amount of torque. Those who wish to not believe in the technology need to notice how many diesel large vehicles are on the road. Big trucks don't smoke nearly as bad as they did 5, 10 or 15 years ago. The technology has matured, and the fuels are maturing. Unlike gasoline, Diesels can operate off of a variety of fuel sources that are organic or fossil in source.

Hyundai brining Diesel engines, of the Common-Rail design, would create a modern-day Volkswagen Beetle in cultic sales. I see more and more of their cars on the road today, and I believe this is going to be a key to their success.

No new Honda Accord Hybrid, diesel will make its debut {Autoblog}

Jun 11th 2007 9:05AM I don't get why everyone is ga-ga over Honda's intro to this market. as far as i can tell this is their first (perhaps second), in the US. Mercedes and Volkswagen have long-standing histories with the technology, in their european offerings they have vehicles with 3-cyl motors obtaining over US70MPG. Why the fuss over Honda?

VW to jump on the hybrid bandwagon by 2009 {Autoblog}

Mar 6th 2007 9:54AM I own a 2006 Jetta TDI, it's a porker compared to the previous year model TDIs (97-2005), however I'm seeing 450 miles on a bad day to 515 miles per tank, and I don't have 4000 miles yet. If the rumor is true that economy comes as it gets more miles on it, I'm really set. This car costs me $7 more on average to fill up compared to my gasoline powered Beetle before it, but that $7 is netting 250+ miles per tank extra and I can comfortably seat 4.

A diesel-hybrid from VW was shown also in 1994 as "Concept 1", AKA the new beetle. Only the TDI model came to life, but the 3cyl Diesel-electric concept for 67MPG city. A low turning constant diesel engine coupled with an eletric-assist motor would be perfect -- infact Opel has a new racecar that's averaging about 81MPG running 24 hours at 135MPH....that's really amazing, I hope they challenge Audi's R10 (which has won Sebring and LeManns) diesel racer. Gas-hybrids do not make sense, but a diesel-electric does..diesels output far more power at lower rpm to charge a heft electric drive system. If the germans venture into this market, I fully expect them to reinvent it in the process. A biodiesel powered hybrid from VW would be so green it would make the Prius turn brown instantly.

North Carolina Apple Store opens this weekend {TUAW.com}

Jun 23rd 2006 9:20AM I'll be there, getting there early as I've learned that these store openings attract a lot of folks. Apple's main interest in a raleigh store is that while Durham has capitalized upon RDU retail shoppers since about 2002, Raleigh wants to take the pie back. There is a new high rise being built right next to the mall, and the North Raleigh SUV-driving soccer moms no longer have to trudge 40 in heavy traffic and risk killing someone because they failed to stop to get the kids iPod fixed so they'll hush :)

This store will be about 6 miles from my home, and if the staff is better than South Point's (whom I have not had a good record with, and I'm an Apple Certified Alliance member), I'll start freuenting it more. Rumor says it has The Studio....