Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Ford backs off hybrids, bets on diesels & ethanol

Hmmmmm finally someone getting the message? This article requires a subscriber to read the whole article, but the title says enough for me.
Yes a good interim move, because there is still the CO2 issue looming and then plug-in hybrid with E85.
Remember the fuel cell (pracitical) is still at least 30-50 years away. Now someone spend more time perfecting the hybrid to get into a more affordable form for the masses instead just the greenies.
The plug-in hybrids or I think the buzz is "E-hybrid" has allot more potential than what we have now? IMHO!
Of course I've been keeping up, thanks to Joesph J. Romm book "The Hype About Hydrogen". I just bought a paper back copy and it has update in the afterward. Very good read especially for those going into the automotive career or who wants info that much closer to reality than many of articles I have found in the last several years.
Go to a book store and at least read the afterward chapter, especially the part updating the reports updating the climatic changes we will be facing.

Paul
2ea 98 Mystique LS (07/97) (08/98)

It's good to see that at least ONE of our domestic makers sees the benefits of diesel. I personally don't think ethanol is going to be a viable solution. Unless the efficiency of ethanol burning engines is drastically improved, as well as the crop yeild per acre of corn, I don't think we have enough land mass in this country to shift a significant percentage of our fuel consumption to E85.

Hybrids don't seem to be the answer in my mind either. They're prohibitively expensive (all makers, AFAIK, are currently selling their hybrids at a loss). They also don't get significantly better mileage than, say, a turbo-diesel VW.

In my mind, bio-diesel should be what we shift towards. You can manufacture about 20 gallons of bio-diesel at home with a 2 gallon base of ethanol, the rest being used vegetable grease, lye, and a couple of off the shelf items from the hardware store. Finished cost per gallon? Under $1. It's environmentally friendly (think off all the restaurants in this country and how much grease they use) and can be run straight in an unaltered diesel engine.

It would be nice to see the lawmakers pushing something like bio-diesel, rather than some of the rediculous ideas they've been peddling. Hydrogen would be nice, but it's inefficient and costly to produce, and the infrastructure just isn't there. Electrics aren't viable for the majority of drivers until and unless battery technology makes huge strides. Hybrids are a stop-gap, feel-good measure for greenies, and we figured out at the start that steam just wasn't practial.

personally I think Diesel engines should be more readily avliable in america... I mean, yeah its still a fossil fuel, but its so much more efficient to burn... For example, when the contour came to america, we had a choice of 2 engines, the 2.0L Zetec or the 2.5L duratec, Both were regular gas engines. But the sister over seas had the option of a Turbo Diesel engine, and a couple other smaller zetec engines... I think GM and Ford and honda and toyota need to make diesel engines, ive considered buying a TDI jetta, if the quality werent so horrible... I like the idea of 180 Ft/lb of torque while getting 40+ miles to the gallon. The Mondeo's were pushing 46+ freeway miles to the gallon with the TDI engines. I know its not a SOLUTION, but it probably would help. The future is Fuel cells though, there is no question about that, and I totaly agree about E85, its not that efficient and there is no way we can supply enough year round to support all of the american drivers, it would get super expensive that way.

Jeep jumped on the diesel band wagon with the jeep Liberty CRD, of which I own one, and its my first diesel vehicle. Being a first year model it has some minor issues, but its 10X better than the gasser imo. I get about 30% better mpg in the city and highway, and I run B20 in it. However, DC canceled the CRD after the 06 year because of the EPAs strict emissions requirements for diesels. Supposedly Mercedes is the only ones who may have a diesel engine in a passenger (excluding trucks) vehicle for 07, but that still hasn't been EPA approved.

Why not a diesel hybrid? The best of both worlds.

-Andy

Yeah, but you lose all efficiency at higher rpm at highway speeds. I think it would work great for city driving, but as soon as you hit the highway you might as well get out and walk because you aren't going to be moving very fast...