Diesel powered cars have already proven to be just as efficient as hybrid-electric vehicles, and in some cases better, but until now the oil burners haven’t been available because of strict clean-air regulations in some countries. Reuters is reporting that one of Toyota’s top engineers has said that making a diesel-powered vehicle that would clear the regulations would make the car too pricey to be worth the fuel savings.
“I won’t deny that we won’t be offering a diesel in the US sometime in the future,” said Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto, who oversees Toyota’s research and development. “But right now we think hybrids are much more cost competitive,” he told reporters on the sidelines at the Detroit Auto Show.
This could all just be because Toyota is actually lacking in terms of diesel technology compared to the other large carmakers.
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