DieselHybrid
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Volvo begins producing V60 diesel plug-in hybrid, claims a world first
There are hybrids. There are diesel hybrids. But the diesel plug-in hybrid is still virtually unknown -- enough so that Volvo claims it's breaking new ground by starting production of the V60 diesel plug-in it's been preparing since 2011. The company still plans to manufacture only small numbers of the wagon at its Gothenburg factory, but it's clear all that talk in Geneva of 124MPG fuel economy and a 285HP combined powertrain has convinced enough early adopters; Volvo has already sold out of the 2013 model's tiny 1,000-car batch, and it expects to build 4,000 to 6,000 per year for the 2014 generation. While potential buyers who've been waiting for a test drive will no doubt be disappointed, the Americans of the bunch can at least take comfort in knowing that there's an eventual US launch in the cards.
Audi's e-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time
Audi's R-18 e-Tron diesel-electric hybrid has become the first car of its kind to win the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. Audi and Toyota both submitted environmentally friendly racers, but the latter's LMP1 crashed, which left the German automaker to a 1-2 finish (while a pair of non-hybrid racers placed third and fifth, respectively). Unlike battery-based hybrids, the R-18 uses a hefty turbo-diesel V6 pushing power to the back wheels, along with a flywheel to recover braking energy and drive a motor attached to the front wheels. The company has revealed that it's actually testing this far cheaper, battery-free system in a production vehicle, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to go a full day on a tank -- give or take the odd rest stop.
Volvo releases more details on 124MPG V60 plug-in, shows off iPhone app (video)
Current gasoline-powered hybrids can barely manage to keep ahead of small diesels in the mpg wars that will shape our future transportation structure, but in theory a diesel hybrid would rule the roost -- for the moment, at least. That's what Volvo will be showing off in Geneva shortly, promising a whopping 124MPG from the V60 plug-in diesel hybrid it announced a few weeks back. The car uses an internal combustion engine driving the front wheels and an electric one to spin the rears, meaning 2WD efficiency but AWD grip -- and a combined 285hp to handily blow the doors off any Prius that dares step up at a streetlight. Volvo is saying the car will take about five hours to charge on a standard household outlet and that you'll be able to monitor that status from your iPhone. Check it out in the video below and turn up those speakers in preparation for one heck of an inspirational piano solo.
