Hybrid cars are now as main stream as the conventional engine cars. There are many experimentation on the combination of fuel used to test fuel efficiency, namely the gas-electric hybrid car, there mild and full electric hybrid, biodiesel hybrid cars, cng cars, lpg cars, and even water-powered cars too.

Which brings the issue of why has the innovation of diesel hybrid car concept lagged far behind?

Diesel Hybrid Cars - Minus The Noise And The Fumes
Diesel engines have been vastly popular in Europe and Asia. And recent developments have greatly eliminated the excessive smoke generated and the loud rattling of the engines.

In addition, biodiesel fuel has been nurturing a growing following and is seen as a solution to reduce the depletion of oil. Combining hybrid technology and the new biodiesel fuel seems to be a better solution to our growing problems. Biodiesel is now cleaner and is also cheaper than regular gasoline.

Ford Reflex Concept Car

The Ford Reflex Diesel Hybrid Concept Car - Sheer Power & Beauty
While there have been no serious research and development done on diesel hybrid cars just yet, Ford unveiled a diesel hybrid concept car Reflex at the North Auto American Auto show in Detroit. This is a car that is infused with a power source that uses a combination of a diesel engine, an electric motor and solar panels claiming that it gets 65 mpg or miles to a gallon.

The Power Generating System
The Ford Reflex Hybrid Concept Car, which is viewed as the father of future diesel hybrid cars, operates similarly to gas-electric hybrid cars. It also has a hybrid battery pack providing backup power to the car and recharges by the engine as well as the heat generated by braking.

This diesel Hybrid car uses lithium-ion batteries, much more powerful and provides extended life compare to most hybrid cars which currently use nickel-metal hydrite batteries as they are far more cheaper than lithium-ion batteries.

The Patented Solar Technology
The Ford Reflex is the epitome of operational efficiency, as it also extracts power from solar cells located inside the headlamps and tail lamps. This patented technology also leverages on solar cells placed in the roof of the car that provides power to fans that operates inside the car to cool the interior when it is parked under the hot sun.

Volkswagen goes Diesel Hybrid with the 70 mpg Diesel-Electric Hybrid Golf
The VW Golf “Rabbit” Diesel-Electric Hybrid Car made its debute at the Geneva Motor Show in the first half of 2008.

The “Rabbit” as known in North America, scored a fuel economy of 69.9 mpg and only 89 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, in comparison to the Toyota Prius hybrid which uses gasoline-electric combination, emits 104 g/km.

Satisfying all Euro 5 emissions criteria & passing the stringent Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards, the diesel engine used in the Golf Hybrid has been developed specifically with the US and California market in mind, scores another 2 big wins.

VW Golf "Rabbit"

VW Golf

Powered by Biodiesel made from algae and combining all the above, you get a much greener car than what is currently on the road. VW indicated that the technology will be used in a number of Volkswagen Group models, including the Jetta sedan - which sells in greater numbers in the US than the ‘Rabbit’ - and the Audi A3.

Here, at Environmentally Friendly Hybrid Green Cars, we hope to pleasantly surprise our readers when the Ford Reflex becomes a reality in the commercial Hybrid Cars market with a comprehensive report.

Meantime, check out more on Environmentally Friendly Cars Here.