Volkswagen chooses diesel over hybrid cars

At the Los Angeles auto show yesterday, Volkswagen AG Chief Executive Bernd Pischetsrieder dissed hybrid cars. "Any significant reduction of fuel consumption under all conditions requires diesel technology. Volkswagon is uniquely positioned to lead in this area."

Yet, there was even double-talk in Pischetsrieder's speech, whom admitted that gasoline-electric hybrids do achieve better fuel economy in stop and go traffic, but that diesels did better on the highway.

The truth is, both cars are better than current gasoline engine technology. But whatever a diesel can do, a hybrid can do better.

For example, there is no reason that a hybrid couldn't utilize a diesel engine, rather than a gasoline engine. In fact, it could ultimately utilize the same diesel engine in new Volkswagons, achieving not only the efficiency of a diesel, but a diesel plus a hybrid.

Ford has already created diesel-electric hybrid cars for testing purposes, in addition to gasoline electric hybrids, such as Ford's Escape hybrid.

Hybrid cars provide an integration environment that allows not only gas and diesel, but hydrogen. A hydrogen-electric Toyota Prius, for example, is very possible already today.

More important, hybrid cars like the Honda Accord hybrid demonstrate that hybrids turn standard vehicles into better performing vehicles. The Accord hybrid uses a very different approach than Toyota, but again, it just shows the immense opportunities hybrid vehicles offer.

The hybrid platform is the future, today. Diesels, at best, are a short term answer.