Too bad Dodge was not visionary enough to build this car. 72 MPG from a 4 door, 5 passenger diesel electric hybrid sedan....Just think how popular this car would be at $29,000 if it was competing with today's Hybrid lineup.....

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...tml?page=1&c=y

Why did they drop this?!

This is better than any hybrid on the road!

This would be my Insight on steroids!

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

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"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

Possibly decided that plastic+diesel+tiny engine = not appropriate for their customer set, according to their market research at the time. This is Chrysler & Mercedes, after all- bigger, more powerful, more luxurious by tradition. 1.5L diesel and 20hp motor doesn't add up to a lot of punch, even for a light car. Maybe if the Dodge side of the house had grabbed it we'd be talking. But the merger/takeover was still newish ('98), and Mercedes was still calling more of the shots, perhaps.

Man would I love to have gotten one of those! Are those quasi-tailfins I see for the brake lights?

This seems to be the key feature to getting amazing fuel economy, an electronically controlled manual that can shift at precisely the right time for fuel economy, and freewheel with the clutch out automatically. Combine this with a hybrid system and you can still have drive (from the motor) and regenerative braking with the clutch out.
This has always seemed a more efficient way to handle climate control to me, cool or heat the seats directly, and just have a normal fan for air circulation.


I'm guessing this is the reason this car didn't see the market. LiIion batteries mean that the performance from the hybrid system should be lightweight, and powerful, but extremely expensive. $7500 penalty (likely very optimistic) is probably not enough for them to be able to recoup their investment. The market that woudl be interested in a super-economical car would in generally not want to cough up $29,000 up front. They'd probably be better off from a marketing standpoint putting in a larger engine so as to have this vehicle compete with the Accord Hybrid, in the same price-range. Also, since it's a diesel, that right there eliminates California, among other states, from the potential market.

duhhh.....
the research & design are all done, all the way to prototype. the time is NOW- they should put it on the road! it would get them right back into the current market- I like it ALOT better than the prius or the 06 civic!

KLC
2005 HCH CVT 'Verdigeek'

The big oil companies probably got wind of it and nipped it in the bud...

I'm surprised no one has yet pointed out that California is the biggest market for hybrids, and it's currently impossible for any diesel passenger cars to pass California emissions. You literally can't buy a diesel powered passenger car at all in California anymore.

That might change when the super ultra low sulphur diesel is available (and the high sulphur diesel is not available). The new catalytic systems are incompatible with the high sulphur content in the fuel (even current 'low sulphur'), so manufacturers can't make the cleanest cars possible unless the fuel is universally cleaned up. It's a catch 22, and right now the refineries are fighting the auto makers on the battlefield because the refiners don't want to invest in the new equipment to produce the fuel but auto makers insist they must so that they can re-introduce the diesel lineup. My guess is that they will sort of compromise and have semi-clean cars burning semi-clean diesel until they get in sync and up to par. Either way diesel cars are going to be more expensive with the new catalytic systems and the fuel costs may rise as refineries pass the cost of making ultra low sulphur diesel onto the customer.

2001 Prius Photos       2005 Prius Photos
'97 Prius Simulation Prius inner workings

How about GM's Precept? 80 mpg!

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/1267946.html

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ecotech/ecot.htm

Baseball fans are familiar with the trade of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees. The Yankees started to win the first of 26 World Series (about once every four years) - the Red Sox never won one until about 86 years later. Letting Babe go was known as "The Curse of the Bambino".

Chrysler, then GM is mentioned having 4-5 seaters with 70 or 80mpg performance - a "slugger". They are letting their "Babe Ruth" go!

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated