VW Polo BlueMotion: 61.9 Mpg on a Single Battery
Autospectator reports that Volkswagen has raised the fuel mileage on its already stingy Polo BlueMotion. Powered by a 1.4-liter TDI [diesel] engine, Volksie's miserly machine deploys every mileage stretcher known to mankind, from special transmission ratios to low-rolling resistance tires. Baby Blue was sipping 3.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. VW's boffins "optimized the engine configuration" to squeeze an extra tenth of a liter efficiency from the mini (small "m") mill, dropping consumption to 3.8 liters per 100 klicks. That's almost 62 mpg folks AND it exceeds all Euro-emission requirements for diesels. VeeDub pulled-off this mpg miracle without relying on hundreds of pounds of batteries and electric motors — if you know what I mean.
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Once again, you folks continue to compare turbocharged diesels with non-turbocharged gas engines, and end up with distorted comparisons as a result. Part of the benefit you're citing is due to the turbocharger, not the diesel. With a turbo, you can have a lighter, smaller gas engine to produce similar performance characteristics that would require a larger diesel. If you made an apples-to-apples comparison (turbocharged diesel vs. turbocharged gas engine with similar performance characteristics), the diesel would probably get 20% better fuel economy, while the gas engine would be perhaps 2/3rd's the size and would weigh less. It's a combination of the turbocharger and the fuel choice that results in achieving better fuel economy within a given performance band. Perhaps half of the savings that you're ascribing to the diesel component of the drivetrain is actually the byproduct of forced induction.
All the cars in my post have turbos.
PCH101, as stated in both my earlier post and TaxedAndConfused's post, we compared turbo gassers and turbo diesels. Anyone like to dig up numbers for the VW Golf TSI vs. the TDI?
"Anyone like to dig up numbers for the VW Golf TSI vs. the TDI?" Here you go, both are Golf 3dr Hatchbacks so the weights should be similar TSI (GTI): 220 hp @ 5000 rpm 207 lb/ft @ 1800 0-60 : 7.2 Top Speed : 146 MPG Combined : 35.3 Extra Urban : 45.6 Urban : 25.7 TDI 170 170 bhp @ 4200 258 lb/ft @ 2000 0-60 : 8.2 Top Speed : 137 MPG Combined 47.9 Extra Urban : 58.9 Urban : 36.2 Actually the 0-60 times I have are 0-62 (100kp/h). You can take something off those.