I'm just repeating what I have read in countless articles, reviews, and industry documents in the past year or so. I don't have a crystal ball, but I think those people who say that probably know what they are talking about.

"A Toyota diesel hybrid truck that went on sale in November 2003, for instance, costs around $10,000 more than its diesel-only version, a third more. Whether consumers are ready to pay that kind of premium for super-efficient cars remains open. Toyota doesn't produce a passenger-car version of the diesel hybrid."

Entire article here:

http://www.mixedpower.com/modules.ph...=print&sid=185

"So why are diesel hybrids taking so long to appear on the roads? Hybrid diesels impose a double price premium, explains Lindsay Brooke, an analyst at CSM Worldwide. Combining a diesel engine, (which costs around $2,000 more than a petrol engine) with a hybrid powertrain (which adds another $3,000 or so) would make for an expensive proposition. Systems to treat the exhaust would impose further costs. The prospects for diesels and diesel hybrids are particularly dim in America, where regulations in California (and, from 2007, nationwide) require diesels to be as clean as petrol-driven cars. Some progress has been made: particulate filters can now eliminate more than 90% of diesel soot. But traps for nitrogen oxides remain a challenge. "

Entire article here:

http://www.mixedpower.com/modules.ph...rticle&sid=277

So for now, all the "experts" say diesel hybrid sedans are too costly to make. Who are we to disagree?

As far as clean, yes you are completely correct that a PZEV is a PZEV is a PZEV. The problem REMAINS, HOWEVER, that that small amount of diesel particulates which DO GET EMITTED EVEN AT PZEV LEVELS is STILL more harmful (carcinogens) than comparable PZEV gasoline engine emissions. That's what I mean when I say diesel is inherently dirtier.

And I'm not alone - why have five states outlawed diesel cars? For solid scientific health reasons, that's why.....