I have read that some of the European car companies are working diesel hybrids. Seattle Metro just purchased 20 some diesel/hybrid busses. Our local NPR station did a big report on it. I would bet that if Toyota is developing a low polluting system for diesel engines that a diesel hybrid would not be unreasonable. Couple that with biodiesel and that might be a very green machine.
Henry Drygas

Can you give us some more information about that?

Johan Erlandsson

See mileage data for my 00 Prius.
See my environmental performance (still in swedish only, feel free to ask).

I read about it in an English publication I think a newspaper (Guardian?). It was a review on the Prius and Hybrid's and the reporter commented on German firms working on it. I think Mercedes and VW perhaps. I am a little vague because it was 2-3 months ago and my memory is not good. I was doing research for getting a hybrid myself. I have a silver (or any other except black, just the reverse of Old Henry) #9 or BC on order and I am waiting, not well, but waiting. The bus thing was because Seattle is adding light rail to the transit tunnel that goes under ground and the present non-hybrid diesel electric buses are old and the voltage is not compatible with the new light rail. The busses will be electric only in the tunnel. I would like to see those batteries!
Henry Drygas

First diesel-electric car is a London Black Cab!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...don/3771679.stm
and
http://www.azuredynamics.com/june42004.htm
Where are the commercially available diesel-electrics...

Johan Erlandsson

See mileage data for my 00 Prius.
See my environmental performance (still in swedish only, feel free to ask).

SMART is a microcar sold in Europe,Japan,Mexico and Canada.They made a diesel-electric hybrid which was not produced.SMART Hyper at evworld.com

The first impression I got while reading this thread was the Hybrid initiative was intimidated by the Diesel movement. Based upon the "Old" reputation that the diesels have had to endure.
Now with better filtration and growing standards in Diesel, it looks like a nice future between the Hybrid and Diesel initiatives is forth coming.
Better more. Throw in the BioDiesel initiative and the best possible product will soon be among us.
Impressive.

Is biodiesel part ethanol and part... regular diesel? or is it completely different?

A Prius a day keeps the doctor away!

Biodiesel is completely made from plant/soybean/algea, etc. and is cut into regular diesel, B-20=20% Biodiesel mixture, B-40 B-100 etc.
Natescape, a member here runs the site www.biodieselnow.com. I also think the site is on the links page. Feel free to surf. You may have to register to get into certain forums.
I appreciate the Biodiesel initiative.

I heard a report on my local NPR station (KPLU, NPR and all that Jazz... And I am not talking smooth jazz they play lumpy jazz all kinds including blues www.kplu.org... end commercial) about bio diesel and one of the folks from Seattle they interviewed makes in own in the garage. It was a mixture of deep fry fat obtained from local restaurants, Methanol and lye. He brews it up himself.
Henry

i saw that on TV

A Prius a day keeps the doctor away!