End of Diesel cars is Nigh?

[CanberravRS]

Diesel is dead, says Lexus chief

Interested to hear your thoughts.

In my mind the Head of Lexus Australia is as narrow minded as the Federal Liberal party leader is.

[gareth_oau]

if its true there would be incredible consequences on the trucking industry.

diesel is preferred due to the high torque properties and long range.

i somehow can't see hybrid engines being cost effective in the trucking industry

[theduckster]

if its true there would be incredible consequences on the trucking industry.

diesel is preferred due to the high torque properties and long range.

i somehow can't see hybrid engines being cost effective in the trucking industry

I would have to agree. There would have to be some pretty major advances in hybrid techology in the next two to three years for it to take place of the diesel equivalent. I would tend to back diesel engine tehnology advancing to comply with Euro 6 standards, but at what cost though. I wouldn't be all that surprised to see Euro 6 standards pushed back if there was no viable alternative to the current diesel engine in 2014.

[K1W1]

Gee, what a surprise the boss of a company that has just released a hybrid car that has a far worse total life cycle environmental cost than most diesels is saying diesel is dead.
Let me get back to you on whether I believe him.

[PassatB6]

He's miffed because Toyota hybrids have been matched by VW group diesels in the economy stakes while being much better drives and with more torque. VW made the decision years ago to go diesel rather than hybrid and its paid off big time. VW said at the time people would not flock to Hybrids if they sacrificed driveability. Prius is no longer the great advance it once was. At the moment hybrids are not very desirable vehicles. Toyota backed the wrong horse and are paying for it.

[Transporter]

I'm speechless and have to agree with the first comment in that article. Look at the Toyota Camry Hybrid CO2 emissions per km, a new Touareg diesel comes very close, ridiculous. It proves that anybody can be a chief or CEO. Well, I saved that article.

Car manufacturers are developing next model as soon as the current one is on sale and engine technologies are developed more than 5 years ahead in line with that and I don't see any signs of the diesel engines being discontinued.

[ethosguy]

Over and above the as new comparisons, how could a hybrids doubling of the energy / drive systems be a good long term cost of ownership reliability option?
Batteries will degrade..does any one have experience with a hybrid as the batteries performance declines and then replaced them?
What happens to performance and efficiency; nothing good I'd suggest.
Then add the internal combustion service life too boot.
How about the mining and transport and disposal of the (quite rare) heavy metals: What are the real costs for this aspect? And who pays?
Hybrids are a marketing stepping-stone IMO.
Electric only cars won't be much better...AND where does the electricty come from, coal, uranium??? Neither are good options.

A better strategy, given transport represents 25% of fossile fuel consumption would be efficiency / polution development for internal combustion transport use where high energy dense fossisl fuel is a real benefit for mobility.

Development of renuable stationary base load electricty would be addressing the more attainable and benificial, IMO.

[phaeton]

The only reason VW are building hybrids and electric cars is because of government incentives VW Exec revealed Volkswagen Sales Chief Says Government is Forcing Them to Build Electric Cars | PluginCars.com.
The whole process of hybrids is very dirty the making of the battery and disposal???

Yes once EURO6 passes it is true diesels will be more expensive, VW is putting its money in everything TSI, Ethanol, CNG, LPG and Synthetic Fuels etc.

[Frankenstrat]

Prius is no longer the great advance it once was. At the moment hybrids are not very desirable vehicles. Toyota backed the wrong horse and are paying for it.

Damn right, after the debacle in the US with the unstoppable Prius cars, Toyota must be hurting very badly. Hydrogen Fuel Cells will be the next automotive holy grail.

[sandyberger243]

It never ceases to amaze me that the media, CEO's or those oxygen theiving policitians will say anything true/untrue or just complete spin laden BS to push any point of view or headline grabbing statement to create popular unrest...these people never do a hard days work in their lives and we pay for them for ever. The sooner people wake up and ignore their hot air, stop supporting them the better.