I've read a lot of articles online about a lot of cars and trucks in GM's line-up becoming electric/gas powered in the upcoming years. Anyone have any further information on this? Like when they'll be getting these electric motors, etc?

I just had an argument w/ my roommate the other day when we were changing his oil. Our neighbor came over and started talking to us about how he was thinking of getting a hybrid for some of the long distance trips he takes. But he said he couldn't imagine himself buying a car. So I told him to wait a few years and he could get a hybrid truck w/ DOD that'll give him 30 MPG and the same utility that trucks have now w/ more power. After my roommate heard this, being the muscle car, I hate computers guy that he is, he said that he should buy a new truck now while he can, before they make them hybrids. That is completely ignorant and un-openminded. He didn't even give me a chance to argue my point about how giving a truck an electric engine can only make it better...

Is there a lot of people out there that are THAT closeminded about things like that? I mean whats the big deal?

 

It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so fascinated with Hybrids. These vehicles are overhyped and pointless. I know there are tax-credits in place, but unless you're doing huge annual mileages, purchasing a hybrid is more an act of "environmental concern" than hard logic. On the face of it, who in their right mind would buy a Civic Hybrid for more than the price of a decently equiped and nicely refined Accord LX?

In trucks, a diesel engine would seem to be the more obvious route to fuel-efficiency. Since two-thirds of Ford Superduty owners fork over $4k for the joys of a turbodiesel, there must be something to this arguement. Modern diesels offer far higher torque ratings than their gasoline counterparts, and the horsepower ratings on the best "common-rail injection motors" are becoming equivilent to gasoline motors of the same displacement. Oddly enough, the improvement in diesel technology is no where near slowing down. It turns out that higher specific outputs - more turbo boost - actually produce better emissions and fuel economy. The faster the diesel, the cleaner and more efficient.

Did I forget to mention that diesels also have superior durability, and a diesel's emissions remain lower for far longer as a vehicle racks up mileage? It's no wonder that Europe is bypassing Hybrid technology for "green diesels" in the short-term, and fuel cells in the more distant future.

Diesel is the wave of the future, and Hybrid is just another word for "Automotive Hermaphrodite."

 

Yea, you also forgot to mention that Diesel emissions are 'dirtier' than regular 'gas' emissions.

And when they start making hybrids on a wider scale, thats when they will start to serve their purpose. And when fuel-cells come along, it will help the environment even that much more.

Diesel engines are in no way the holy grail as far as emissions go. The only great thing I can see w/ Diesel engines is that you can let them idle a while and burn practically no fuel...