Cracking diesel engine

Check out this diesel engine from Daihatsu:

http://www.daihatsu.com/motorshow/tokyo03/...gine/index.html

Looks to me to be the ultimate plug-in hybrid engine! 55bhp, but it's tiny! 660cc two stroke diesel engine. Would barely take up any space / weight and would be the ideal range extender for a mostly EV PIH.

In one of Daihatsu's own vehicles it gives 41 km per litre on the combined cycle, which is about 97 US mpg and that's without hybrid assistance!

 

Wow, that would be something if they did! 8) Straight swap petrol to diesel normally increases fuel economy by about 25-30%, so it could go from its current 140mpg to something like 180mpg!

The UFU-II is one of my favourite cars of all time - but I reckon they should just make it an outright EV. A 200 mile range pack made up of today's off-the-shelf Lithium-ion would only weigh 70kg - possibly the same amount as saved from taking out the engine? Better yet, I seriously think they should make a solar powered concept version!

In the nearer future, however, it's worth noting that the original UFE came out at the Tokyo motorshow in 2001. The UFE-II came out in 2003 - so maybe this year we'll get a glimpse of the UFE-III this October?