Originally Posted by Checkerboard Strangler
Now, take that same 4-banger diesel and slap the electric portion of the Chevy Volt drivetrain to it, minus the battery pack.
Tune the diesel for "narrowband RPM power output" (between 1240-2000 RPM)
Now you're getting almost 75-80 miles per gallon.
That would work. I remember one of GM's first responses to the energy crisis back in the 70's. They put a diesel in a Chevette, but leave it to Detroit to screw up a good idea. They just took a gas engine and modified it to diesel, which doesn't and didn't work. Another innovative idea that they screwed up royally was the Fiero. It was a sporty little car that drew an immediate market, but the manufacture and quality control was terrible. A young lady that I dated at the time bought one of the first. Nice looking car, but even simple things like the door weather stripping was shoddy and whenever it rained it was a disaster. I'm also with Pelosi and the democrats insisting that Detroit shows them their plans for the money before Detroit gets the dinheiro. I suspect that one reason Congress wants to see the plan is this.Call me a nationalist, but that money should be spent employing Americans and not Brazilians.