Which proves what I said earlier:

The gasoline PM/soot problem is largely ignored, and we need to do more research, and more closely regulate the gasoline soot, rather than ignore it.

That no one is worried about something so inconsequential as a tiny soot particle !!

If that really was a health issue, we should have HUNDRED of THOUSANDS of people dying every year from Gasoline Soot particle poisoning !!! And it would be on the cover of EVERY science magazine: "Do not drive your gasoline car !!"

I'm talking about REAL ISSUES like Smog, lung cancer, asthma, respiratory disease, all the things WE ALREADY KNOW diesel exacerbates and even CAUSES !!

Get a grip on reality Troy - Diesel is NOT GOD'S FUEL GIFT TO MAN.

I never said it was.

But at least I'm open-minded to examine a higher efficiency engine, instead of refusing to look.

I also will "Look" at a diesel hybrid car in the future, IF it can be PROVEN that the "clean diesel" and the particulate filters are as capable as the Hype.

I have two young kids, and I'm NOT going to put dirty diesel exhaust in their lungs.

If someone can show me a TRULY CLEAN diesel hybrid that gets 60-70 MPG in the "less than $25K" price range, I might look. But so far, there is no such car.

TDI = 46 MPG Mr. Lars

The Jetta TDI 2004 rates 38/46, averaging 42

The 2004 HCH manual rates 46/51 averaging 48.5

That was the point I was making.

The 3 Jetta TDIs on greenhybrid average 46.5

Still less than the HCH and much smellier......

On the whole issue of cost - Ricardo are a company here in the UK that perform R&D for major car manufacturers.

They have made an Astra diesel-electric hybrid with a 1.2 litre diesel engine, yet which is capable of 115mph and 0-60 in 12s ~72 impg. What's interesting about their project?

They are touting it to manufacturers because it costs only £600 more per vehicle to build than the base model.

http://www.ricardo.com/i-MoGeN/default.htm

As for the whole particulates issue - you should see some of the EuroIV diesels we have over here. You can't see or smell anything from the exhaust! They really are nothing like the diesels you have over there, especially the ones from maybe 3 or 4 years ago!

That's great if they can rEALLY do it and it's REALLY clean. Problem is, something like that, even if picked up by Ford or GM, would not make it to the USA for 7-10 yrs.

What gives me some confidence that things might happen sooner is that, GM, for example, despite claiming for years it wasn't going to invest in a "pointless" hybrid programme realised only very recently that they were in danger of missing the boat and how dangerous the lead of Toyota and Honda in the new field had become.

So, from no (real passenger car) hybrid plans at all last year to the unveiling of the Astra diesel-electric hybrid this year seems to me like seriously quick progress. I suspect they are absorbing a lot of information from the Daimler-Benz European connection. Nevertheless, a car capable of 0-60 in less than 8 seconds, yet also capable of 60 mpg (US) is quite an achievement. Sadly, as a result of your low pump prices, this car is only going into production for the European market.

Come to think of it, another interesting car you're missing is the Astra ECO4. It's diesel, low emissions, and managed 75mpg (US) on a cross country run recently. It only costs the same as the base car.