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Unless you live in area with cheap electric rates, a pure electric car is no real bargain. As for diesels and hybrids, I drive both. Gas hybrids and diesels each have their advantages and disadvantages and I would drive either in preference to a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle. If diesel fuel and gasoline prices were near the same, I would go diesel. Unfortunately, the price premium for diesel fuel at the pump is likely here to stay for a number of years and that makes a diesel in a car application very difficult to justify when comparing against a gas-hybrid. In a larger vehicle (from pickup trucks on up), the fuel economy advantage of a diesel is enough to offset the fuel price premium compared to gasoline.
Also, I doubt that 28173 has acutally driven a gas-hybrid, based on his comment above. The combination of electric moter and gasoline engine gives a hybrid a lot of low-speed torque. That is one of the beauties of a gas-hybrid compared to a conventional gasoline engine of the same displacement.
I'd actually go Hydrogen fuel cell if the lease on the Honda Clarity were under $450/month instead of $600+. My second choice would be electric, but only with the Tesla S. I got to take a spin in one over the holidays and the handling, steering & road-feel is spot-on, much better than even a standard 3-series. Plus the touch-screen infomatics is very intuitive and not-clunky like MyFordTouch or iDrive. Here in LA there's really no advantage in paying a premium for diesel engines since most of our commutes are hour+ drives in 15~30mph stop and go traffic.
I like diesel more than hybrid for a number of reasons. I just wish our Government/EPA weren't so hostile to it. The only hybrid that makes a lot of sense to me is the Prius.
Of those 3, as much as it pains me to say it, I voted hybrid.
Diesels right now seem to be struggling with emissions vs reliability, much like gassers did when they had to become emissions-compliant. In a few years when the bugs are worked out, this would be my choice.
Electric still has the logistical hurdle of range. It could never be your only vehicle if you planned to drive any appreciable distance in a relatively short amount of time.
That leaves hybrids, though the other option not mentioned are all the gasoline engines that are getting astounding MPGs without any sort of hybrid system. Examples would be the Ford Ecoboost line-up and the Mazda SkyActive engines.
I can't speak to diesel cars, but between our Leaf and our Hybrid, the Leaf is way more fun to drive. I also love never having to go to the gas station. We'll probably be in the front of the line for Tesla's Model E.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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What!!! no LNG / CNG!! (Probably the best option for much of USA)
If strictly commuting and in TOWN /urban... I would first vote for CNG, then Diesel / HHV... (hydraulic not electric hybrid). Not available in USA (yet).
I have a lot of city friends with Prii, and one friend who has made 3 Prii into full electric. My own engineering employer had 'plug-in' EV parking in 1970's. Employees built many great EV's, but I was stuck with diesel... 50 mpg since 1976, no dinosaurs required.
Having 30+ diesel vehicles and one gas; I might be a bit bias. (I was 'weaned' on the smokestack of a diesel tractor for 12 hrs / day).
I hope to NEVER live in town, so I will stick with my Diesels. I don't want to be stranded on a mtn road in a high tech electric that needs to be PICKED up and moved to repair shop. (3 mil fleet miles on my diesels w/o a tow). I only have to top them off with FREE fuel every 1200 miles... (52 mpg w/ 25 gal(US) tank)
Diesel offers a Plethora of free / sustainable / manufacturable fuel alternatives ... with NO engine modification required. (filter it and BURN it)
IMHO...
USA needs to get on the stick (yesterday) and be energy independent! (40 yrs ago would have been smart and saved a lot of lives).
If manuf. want to get Hybrids and electrics affordable and dependable... limit their use to commercial vehicles that run 24/7, not 'light-weight' commuter cars used 20 min / day and equal high priced capital expenditures that sit unused 23 hrs / day.
The USA is gonna get trounced AGAIN, as foreign governments and manufacturers are gonna win the energy efficient transportation market... While we are not even 'getting to 1st base'. 100mpg is attainable and available. (not in USA, except for my vintage (1970's) motorcycles). We've come a long ways in 45 yrs
As owner of several good petrol engine vehicles and a very good hybrid, a Camry, I vote for gas. Reason being, I do not really care that much about 3-5 mpg difference. But I do care about very complex "can not touch" hybrid architecture. I am a DIY man. That Camry is keeping me on the edge every time I drive her, always waiting for something to happen. And repairs are NOT cheap.
Plans are to sell her and get a decent mpg hatch.
I do NOT care about diesels. I need none of that torque and power, and price of fuel clearly outsets better mpg.
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