Citeron has a hi bred coming with a diesel that will run the car.

Actually, the 69 mpg (actually 3.4 L/100km) is a rating also, but probably in an EU cycle. Real world figures always vary as energy requirements of the passengers vary. I can't tell if A/C is available - most European cars forgo A/C if they are trying for economy. But that makes them a tough sell in Phoenix!

Honda hybrids run on the ICE if the battery fails; that form of hybrid is usually called "parallel." The tradeoff is relatively poor economy in town, as the ICE has to turn in most parallel systems. There are ways around it, and maybe Citroen/Peugeot has gone that way.

The Citroen appears to be a "2+2" style; room for two adults and two children. That's just from the pictures; I didn't see specs yet. Dunno about the Peugeot sibling.

Anyway, good to see more hybrids entering the market. The momentum is valuable.

Mike

Ah, it's a concept car. More details at

including the possible future:"PSA Peugeot Citroën says that while it could market its Hybride HDi vehicles as early as 2010, the introduction is dependent upon its ability to make the technology available at an affordable price.Today, the price gap between a Hybride HDi model and a comparable diesel HDi model is still too wide and would have to be halved to make diesel hybrid vehicles accessible to most consumers."

More interesting concept cars in the Japanese mode:

and Those have been around a while, but they clearly demonstrate how hybrids can expand into the performance market.

Mike

If you can drive like the governmental tests, then you too can achieve the "advertised" fuel economy ratings. Problem is, most of the governmental tests (such as the US EPA's) are outdated and don't accurately reflect the average driver's results. (Manufacturers are required by law to post the governmental test figures, in at least the US and UK...) However, since the same test cycle is performed on every car, then you can use the test results to compare one car against another...

60 (US) MPG isn't that difficult, if you try for it. Results on my US 2001 and 2004 Prius can be found at: There's always the hypermilers/marathon men, who took a stock US Prius and drove it 48 hours straight over a 15 mile course, logging 1397 miles and averaging 110 (US) MPG.

A note of warning when quoting foreign car reports - be sure that you know what test cycle and what type of MPG you are reading about. US or Imperial MPG? and those different test cycles make a big difference...

You can get some pretty graphs of many of the different tests here:

US 2005 EPA ratings are 60MPG city, 51MPG highway, 55MPG combined. For comparison units: City = 3.9l/100km or 72MPG Imperial or 25.5km/l Highway = 4.6l/100km or 61MPG Imperial or 21.7km/l Combined = 4.2l/100km or 66MPG Imperial or 23.4km/l Canada 2005 OEE ratings are 71MPG city, 67MPG highway, but that's Imperial gallons. The ratings are also listed as 4.0l/100km city and

4.2l/100km highway. For comparison units: City = 59MPG (American) or 25.1km/l Highway = 56MPG (American) or 23.7km/l UK 2005 VCA ratings are 56.5MPG urban (cold), 67.3MPG extra urban, and 65.7MPG combined, again Imperial gallons. For comparison units: urban (cold) = 47MPG (American), or 5.0l/100km urban (cold), or 20.0km/l extra urban = 56MPG (American), or 4.2l/100km, or 23.8km/l combined = 55MPG (American), or 4.3l/100km, or 23.3km/l 982 Japan 2005 using the 10-15 cycle is (if my Japanese translation is right) 35.5km/l or 33.0km/l depending on option grade. That's 2.8l/100km or 83US MPG or 100 Imperial MPG, and 3.0l/100km or 77 US MPG or 93.2 Imperial MPG. I do note a OnMouseOver note that's something about 30.0km/l though... BTW: handy online converter site:

Just a curiosity: When I was a kid, diesel was 1/3 the cost of regular gasoline. I heard at the time was because diesel didn't need to be processed as much as gasoline. Now, it is about a dollar more. What gives? Sticking it to the truckers?

I sure don't know. The price inversion popped up in the 80s, IIRC, when America turned to diesels for economy (like the diesel Rabbit).

What I don't get is that the price difference compared to gasoline varies so widely.

Mike

Regular is about $2.25/gallon here right now (Portland, Oregon.) How's that compare with you people?

Low $2-teens in this Phoenix suburb ($2.099 at Costco), which means that in some other suburbs and parts of Phoenix, it's below $2.10, and maybe below $2.00.

Diesel is about 10 to 20 cents higher than High Test around here.

Methinks you have issues with your Prius. While I've only gotten as high as 51mpg with mine in the past four months, I know a number of people who've gotten well over teh "government BS". At least I know why I don't get the advertised amount, and have proved it to myself.

Your last car probably didn't get the government BS numbers, either

Try hitting some of the Greenhybrid or CleanMPG websites to see how well people are doing with their hybrids. They get the government BS numbers; why can't you?

My last tank got 53 MPG, and I'm currently at 53.5 MPG on this tank, but only 180 or so miles since the last fillup.

I'm too close to the EPA figures to think they are bogus. Haven't had a tank under 50 mpg for at least six months now but then, I drive 55.

Michael & All:

******************** When crude oil is "cracked" to create its useful constituents of gasoline, diesel, heating fuel, JP-4, etc., there is a "natural" ratio of each by-product that can be obtained, depending on the type of crude stock. So, if more gasoline is demanded by the market than its natural ratio will generate, then gasoline prices rise with respect to diesel. If there is a greater demand for diesel than for gas, then the price of diesel will increase and the price for gasoline will fall.

Dick -- New 2006 Prius & I love it.