Green diesel promoted by VW, Audi

[Mark Rinker]

http://www.greencar.com/articles/vws-breakthrough-69-mpg-diesel-hybrid.php

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2009/06/audi-buy-a-diesel-and-save-the-world---or-a-few-hundred-gallons-of-oil-at-least.html
http://www.dieselforum.org/uses/cars-trucks-suvs/diesel-vehicles-currently-available-in-us

I am currently shopping Jetta TDI for my daughter, and plan for our next family sedan to also be TDI...

[Kennedy]

My question is how well do these things (hybrids in general) work in the cold?

How do they perform climate control ie heat and AC?

[convert2diesel]

Based upon a few of them I have seen. if you keep them plugged in (assuming your Hybrid has the capability) at night, then the batteries remain warm and as such suffer no degradation of performance. Granted if they are left in a parking lot during the day, the batteries will get cold but once you light it up, the batteries should sparkle up.

Heat is generally a mix of coolant exchangers and resistance heating coils (will reduce battery only operational time) and the AC is conventional with a signal to either turn on the engine or allow it to go back to idle while AC is on. There are a few that use electric motors but again, that would decrease your battery only operation.

One really good thing to come out of the General lately is the design for the Chevy Volt. Would venture to say that may be the saviour of the company. Great piece of engineering. The 16KW battery pack will be doubled up for their SUV offering.

The new 1500 pickup is using a combination of the six speed transmission and two electric motors driving a CVT in parallel to the conventional driveline. Reported to put out a combined HP of 359 HP. Don't know if the batteries can be plugged in at night but it does stay in electric mode only under about 45MPH. Now if they would only combine it with the new MiniMax then that would be interesting. Should be out by August.

Bill