Awake at the Wheel

The January issue of Popular Mechanics just arrived in mailboxes and is a must read for anyone wondering whether to go Hybrid or Diesel. In “The Case For Diesel” author Ben Hewitt reports how the “dark-horse of fossil fuels has cleaned up its act, allowing automakers to create cars for the U.S. that are ultraefficient and high-performance.” Case in point, in a side-by-side comparison to see how hybrids compare to their diesel-powered cousins, a Toyota Prius is matched up against a VW Polo BlueMotion 1. The results were impressive. The Polo not only drove 38% further on a gallon of fuel (74.3 mpg vs. 54 mpg) but also generated 5% fewer greenhouse gas emissions per mile. Though the article makes no mention of biodiesel, one can assume through existing data that switching-out the ultra-low sulfur diesel used in this test for a biodiesel blend would even further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And though the VW Polo is presently only available in Europe, the article showcases the new wave of diesels coming stateside in the next two years. Among those listed were the Audi A4 Sedan, Honda Accord Sedan and a F-150 pick-up boasting a 4.4-liter V8 rated to 31 mpg.