Audi
A3 1.9TDIe makes Angus of MotorTrend ask, "Does
anyone need a Prius?"
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A
Prius killer?
Angus
of MotorTrend has been driving an Audi A3 1.9TDIe for
the last few days, a nice new diesel vehicle that is
making Angus ask why anyone needs a Toyota
Prius. Ultimately, according to Angus, the Audi is
more fuel efficient than the Prius, except in extreme
traffic, and the Audi performs better, so maybe there is
no need for
hybrid cars?
First, let's start with why someone buys a hybrid car,
which is usually either to reduce oil dependency or to
fight global warming.
Diesel, even clean diesel, is still dirtier than gasoline
simply because of the refinement of diesel. Plain and
simple. It also takes more oil to produce a gallon of
diesel than it does to produce a gallon of gasoline, so
diesel consumes more dirty oil than gasoline. In fact, for
many years the Union of Concerned Scientists has claimed
that diesel fuel efficiency should be reduced by 20
percent because of the extra oil and refinement. Thus, if
a diesel is 30 percent more efficient on the street, it's
really only 10 percent more efficient after the extra oil
and refining is considered.
Second, let's look at America's favorite motivation:
money. In England, the Audi A3 1.9 TDIe costs around £17,000,
or about $33,000 US - more than a fully, fully loaded
Prius. Additionally, where I live in California, diesel
costs a good bit more than gasoline for my Prius.
So, how is it again that this Prius-fighter is kicking
Prius ass?
Under the best circumstances diesel has little effect on
improving foreign oil dependency, and while clean diesel
might meet road emission's requirements, its refinement is
still nastier than gasoline, and it costs more at the
pump. That's supposed to make Prius buyers feel like they
made a mistake?
When it comes to the future and to solving foreign oil
dependency and global warming, clean diesel is not a
solution, nor are today's hybrid vehicles. If lithium
could be added to tomorrow's hybrid vehicles, however,
hybrids might have the power to end foreign oil dependency
while almost ending greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, such lithium hybrids might help develop
batteries for electric cars and/or fuel cell hybrid
vehicles.
Ultimately, it is this upside of hybrid technology that
makes it so much more important than diesel technology in
the long run. Yes, clean diesel is an improvement, but not
enough of an improvement. Therefore, in hindsight, I'll
still take the Prius, Angus, it's pure evolution.
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