Why no diesel Prius?

[alohaspirit]

I first starting ecomodding by running veggie oil in my diesel

During my research I ran across many different diesel swaps
one of them being a diesel engine swap for a Toyota Previa.

That swap allowed it to run on waste vegetable oil.

So why is there no diesel Toyota Prius yet?
(or at least a diesel engine swap for one)


My first thought is that the system is designed EXCLUSIVELY
for the prius making additions incredibly difficult.


But imagine a car that ran on electricity being recharged by waste vegetable oil.
Hard to get greener than that.


Especially since the golf has been deemed too expensive.

[Piwoslaw]

Diesel technology is more expensive, and Toyota had to cut corners somewhere.

[cfg83]

alohaspirit -

Speculating offhand, Diesel has a bad rep in Japan (maybe worse than in the USA?!?!), what Piwoslaw said, and it would be harder to make it emissions compliant in the USA. Wouldn't a Diesel also weigh more?

Hrmmmmmm, what is the smallest displacement Diesel that Toyota makes?!?!?

CarloSW2

[vtec-e]

Originally Posted by cfg83

Hrmmmmmm, what is the smallest displacement Diesel that Toyota makes?!?!?

CarloSW2

It may be this one: Toyota ND engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There is an aygo using the same engine here: 90mpg Aygo - Toyota Owners Club - Toyota Forum
I thought it may be smaller than 1.4 but it's not.

Anyway, back on topic. I believe another reason a diesel hybrid was not made is due to the diesel not coping too well with the constant on/off. Turbo issues i suppose.

ollie

[RobertSmalls]

The reason nobody's done it at home is twofold. One, the stock engine is pretty darned efficient, and there's little room for improvemnt in CO2/mi or even gal/mi with a diesel. Two, there aren't a lot of cheap Prii with dead engines, because the stock engine tends to outlast the car.

[SVOboy]

Japan also hates diesels,

[Ryland]

Toyota's goal was to make one of the cleanest burning cars that also got good gas mileage, if they were going for just mileage they would have done better.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

The reason nobody's done it at home is twofold. One, the stock engine is pretty darned efficient, and there's little room for improvemnt in CO2/mi or even gal/mi with a diesel. Two, there aren't a lot of cheap Prii with dead engines, because the stock engine tends to outlast the car.

I can't support this claim at all.

Diesels are typically ~30% more efficient (fuel used per mile) than gasoline engines, right?

So how is there "not much to gain" from using a diesel with the same hybrid system?

I don't remember seeing a suggestion to take out the hybrid setup, just to use a diesel engine instead of gasoline... that would make the Prius ~30% more efficient on diesel.

EPA rating for the Prius Gasoline Hybrid is: 50C/49H

30% higher than 50mippigs is 65 mippigs... I'd rather have the latter, and that's the "we're not really going to try" EPA estimate.

[cfg83]

Christ -

Originally Posted by Christ

I can't support this claim at all.

Diesels are typically ~30% more efficient (fuel used per mile) than gasoline engines, right?

So how is there "not much to gain" from using a diesel with the same hybrid system?

I don't remember seeing a suggestion to take out the hybrid setup, just to use a diesel engine instead of gasoline... that would make the Prius ~30% more efficient on diesel.

EPA rating for the Prius Gasoline Hybrid is: 50C/49H

30% higher than 50mippigs is 65 mippigs... I'd rather have the latter, and that's the "we're not really going to try" EPA estimate.

I agree in the long run. A good hybrid design would allow for transplanting the "emission portion" of the powerplant. I think that from a strategic market standpoint, a non-Diesel was the way to go. Like SVOboy said, diesels are frowned upon in Japan. The Prius was tootling around in Japan's protected market for four years before it got here. It was "growing up" in Japan and getting the bugs out, from my POV.

Toyota Prius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1st Generation (Asia Pacific)(model NHW10)
The first Prius, model NHW10, went on sale in December 1997. It was sold only in Japan, though it has been imported privately to the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Many of these cars are now being exported as second-hand vehicles to New Zealand and other countries.

I second vtec-e's question. What about the constant on-off? Don't diesels like to keep idling at stops to be more efficient?

CarloSW2

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by cfg83

I second vtec-e's question. What about the constant on-off? Don't diesels like to keep idling at stops to be more efficient?

Well then let it idle at a stop light, charging the bateries at a slower, but constant rate.