(question for Danny (or others that might know) - see how the top quote and the second are separate - I had posted it together as one quote, and then tried about 6-7 different versions, but it kept separating it no matter what I did. Why is that? .. and it forced everything to lowercase, even though I tried editing it to uppercase. My post has been hijacked by your server's software program - the priuschat bots. )
I fixed it. I think it was just the way the behind-the-scenes code was working. I had to switch over to Editor Mode to see it. (in the upper-right corner of this edit box ) The codes were like this (replacing [ with { to avoid parsing) {B}{quote}Headline{/quote}{/B}{quote}rest of story{/quote} When the attempt was made to remove the {/quote} and {quote} to make them merge, it left that leading {B} just hanging there. I can only assume that that board software was having none of that. I moved the {B} and {/B} to inside the {quote} tags and then deleted the {quote} tags. It's all better now. OK, enough of that. This is an interesting topic, so without further ado: :focus:
It's a realistic reflection of what GM, Ford, Toyota and Hyundai have been stating for years and years...for the NA market diesels are a marginal or non-existant option for the future; too much work to educate the populace; too high a price for too little benefit; bad public perception. If a maker doesn't have hybrid technology ready to implement for the future here in NA then that maker will always remain below the radar as far as the public is concerned. Diesel enthusiasts will remain highly positive but a large international company dependent on high volumes to minimize high fixed costs can't survive selling diesels for LPV's here.
How about a Vanagon hybrid? I keep dreaming about stuffing a prius transaxle etc. into the back of an old vanagon. I wonder if it would fit...
All this talk about putting an HSD into a VW bus and Scion xB makes me think ... I want a bicycle that has an MG. That way, I can keep it in high gear all the time (single speed), and the electric motor can help me accelerate from a stop. There could actually be a second gear, so I can pedal up hills, but it would only be a two-speed bike. I'm sure if I Googled it, someone makes a version.
