Driving in general is bad for the environment. Any manufactured product somehow produces some form of pollution directly or indirectly (using electricity from a coal power plant for example, or using other fabricated materials that when manufactured cause pollution.) The question is how they stack up relative to each other.
Diesel is less refined than gasoline and is cheaper to make. Diesel produces more energy per gallon than gasoline, which makes the work that you can derive from a gallon is about 20% more. Diesel engines have to be much tougher to withstand higher combustion temperature and pressure; as a result they last much longer. 250,000 miles before any major repairs is not anywhere near uncommon for diesels.
A gasoline hybrid uses a fuel that needs more energy to make it, and this fuel does less work per unit, and relies on a weaker engine in terms of durability.
A VW TDI engine is extremely simple. A 1.9L 4 cyl engine that produces a whopping 90hp is plenty for a comfortable level of acceleration and top speed. With the simplicity means less parts, less complicated parts, and less cost.
The hybrid is much more complicated of an engine. It is much more likely to be in need of major repair. They also weigh more meaning more energy to get the thing moving.
Diesel vs Gasoline Hybrid? I dont think there is much of a competiton. Even with the pollution differences you would think counties with stricter regulations that the US would tend to use gasoline more? Wrong, most countries in Europe are 50% diesel or more. Plus if you supplied a diesel and a gasoline hybrid with a single gallon of fuel and set them off all the while collecting every last bit of exhaust both engines produce, and generate a cofficient. Yes that coefficient is larger just in terms of say pollution units for the diesel. Now take Polluntion Units / Miles traveled = Pollution per Mile. Ok diesel is still higher even though it went further on the same amount fo fuel. Next factor in average cost to operate. Pollution per Mile * CTO = Cost of Pollution per mile. Now we are getting somewhere. The complexity of manufaturing, insuring, financing, repairing, and replacing consumables (fuel, tires, batteries) and disposal of all the byproducts of these actions makes the overall aggregate pollution per unit of work done for a diesel considerably less than a hybrid.
Plus since the US is crazy with the trucking industry there is a corporate motivation to make advancements in diesel technology considerably faster than hybrid research.
Lastly consider Biodiesel which is completely interchangable with regular diesel fuel with negligible consequences and considerable gains in terms of pollution having a significant reduction in the amount of unburned hydrocarbons, CO production, particulate emissions, and the essential elimination of sulfur dioxide and sulfates from exhaust. Biodiesel can be manufactured from almost any fat or plant oil so the potential for total aggregate pollution from a standard diesel engine is lowered even more.
Diesel engines are just a better choice when compared to a gasoline hybrid.
Slashdot Mirror
Driving in general is bad for the environment. Any manufactured product somehow produces some form of pollution directly or indirectly (using electricity from a coal power plant for example, or using other fabricated materials that when manufactured cause pollution.) The question is how they stack up relative to each other.
Diesel is less refined than gasoline and is cheaper to make. Diesel produces more energy per gallon than gasoline, which makes the work that you can derive from a gallon is about 20% more. Diesel engines have to be much tougher to withstand higher combustion temperature and pressure; as a result they last much longer. 250,000 miles before any major repairs is not anywhere near uncommon for diesels.
A gasoline hybrid uses a fuel that needs more energy to make it, and this fuel does less work per unit, and relies on a weaker engine in terms of durability.
A VW TDI engine is extremely simple. A 1.9L 4 cyl engine that produces a whopping 90hp is plenty for a comfortable level of acceleration and top speed. With the simplicity means less parts, less complicated parts, and less cost.
The hybrid is much more complicated of an engine. It is much more likely to be in need of major repair. They also weigh more meaning more energy to get the thing moving.
Diesel vs Gasoline Hybrid? I dont think there is much of a competiton. Even with the pollution differences you would think counties with stricter regulations that the US would tend to use gasoline more? Wrong, most countries in Europe are 50% diesel or more. Plus if you supplied a diesel and a gasoline hybrid with a single gallon of fuel and set them off all the while collecting every last bit of exhaust both engines produce, and generate a cofficient. Yes that coefficient is larger just in terms of say pollution units for the diesel. Now take Polluntion Units / Miles traveled = Pollution per Mile. Ok diesel is still higher even though it went further on the same amount fo fuel. Next factor in average cost to operate. Pollution per Mile * CTO = Cost of Pollution per mile. Now we are getting somewhere. The complexity of manufaturing, insuring, financing, repairing, and replacing consumables (fuel, tires, batteries) and disposal of all the byproducts of these actions makes the overall aggregate pollution per unit of work done for a diesel considerably less than a hybrid.
Plus since the US is crazy with the trucking industry there is a corporate motivation to make advancements in diesel technology considerably faster than hybrid research.
Lastly consider Biodiesel which is completely interchangable with regular diesel fuel with negligible consequences and considerable gains in terms of pollution having a significant reduction in the amount of unburned hydrocarbons, CO production, particulate emissions, and the essential elimination of sulfur dioxide and sulfates from exhaust. Biodiesel can be manufactured from almost any fat or plant oil so the potential for total aggregate pollution from a standard diesel engine is lowered even more.
Diesel engines are just a better choice when compared to a gasoline hybrid.