Hi,
I'd hold off on calling anything "stupid" but rather point out that engineering often entails trade-offs to find if not an optimum, at least an acceptable solution. I was hoping to make sure we're all on the same sheet of paper with similar understanding and that seems to be the case. Then comes the detailed analysis.
In words, we've described all of the elements (hopefully for lurkers who may not have understood some the fine details.) The next phase would be to load this knowledge into a model and run the simulations. Will there be a compression-ignition, hybrid vehicle in the future, I don't know. There isn't one in production, yet, but that might change.
I note that the chairman of VW in the first week of July talked as if they are going to move towards vehicles with a significant, electrical motive capability. He correctly identifies this as a long-haul goal and my best guess is:
- 2-3 years - engineering design time
- 1st generation - needs about 3 years of road time for 'lessons' learned
- 2nd generation - fixes worst, still has some problem areas, 3-5 years
- 3d generation - what the 2010 is today
Right now, I can't get excited by the current VW diesels, their metrics don't work. But VW may have seen 'the writing on the wall' and it will take them a little time to get something designed and in the market place. I just hope they don't follow the GM model and make "greenwash" hybrids whose electrical parts are little more than glorified alternator/starter motors.
Bob Wilson