ROME – Diesel, what future? The road seems marked and the end has already been announced but in the meantime the “diesel solution” remains the most economical and convenient for those who need a large car with which to travel tens of thousands of kilometers a year. Here then is that the combination with an electric motor could extend its life. The many advantages of hybrid diesels for users, in fact, are well known to car manufacturers, especially to premium manufacturers of wagons, large and maxi SUVs, which derive maximum benefits from the combination of high torque levels, low consumption and no anxiety about the autonomy of diesel engines.
It is therefore not surprising that some of the most illustrious exponents of the industry dot side by side the electrified thrust in the mild and plug-in hybrid forms. If the technology full hybrid lends itself better to petrol units, the light diesel hybrid option is all that is needed to obtain homologation, and take advantage of the related tax and regulatory benefits.
The most advanced mild hybrid diesel engines offer modest savings (in the order of 10 per cent) in the urban emissions field but just outside urban centers, the technology with integrated starter alternator and sailing functions in force on the most advanced large-size models built by Jaguar Audi, Mercedes and BMW, they have countless advantages. From free parking in the blue stripes (not in all municipalities) to the exemption of the road tax (in some regions) up to distances of more than 1000 kilometers with a full tank, the light hybrid Euro 6-Dtemp currently on the market are fluid, silent, powerful and they suffer little from the driving style. Furthermore, not having heavy battery packs to transport as happens with full or plug-in hybrid cars, fuel consumption on the motorway (when the contribution of any hybrid system is very low due to high speeds) remains very low even when driving specimens. of segment D and E.
Two categories manned with abundance by Audi mild hybrid diesels, which in addition to the A4, A5, A7 Sportback and A8, combined the 340 horsepower 3.0 V6 Tdi with the A6 Allroad, where the sailing functions of the technology combined with other propulsive efficiency, allow the model to cover an uninterrupted Roma-Ingolstadt, consuming approximately 6.5 liters of diesel per 100km. A staggering figure considering size, length and 700nm of torque within reach of the right foot.
Another example of convenience when traveling on the motorway at 130 per hour is the Jaguar XF powered by the 4-cylinder 2.0 204-horsepower mild hybrid, which in the face of luxurious sensations and lots of space, settles easily on 17km / l, guaranteeing the customer management costs and exercise, far less than what aristocratic appearances would suggest. Among the posters dedicated to the affordable prowess of light hybrid diesels, there is also the Mercedes EQ range. During the recent press presentations, the Stuttgart manufacturer has repeatedly reiterated how the air that escapes from the exhaust pipes of contemporary diesel engines is often cleaner than that which is breathed in the city in which they are released and always according to the German manufacturer, with the same cylinder capacity and power, the new diesel engines have halved the release of harmful gases compared to ten years ago. The EQ Boost applied to the diesels of the new C-Class (equipped for the first time with the Otto cycle as well as a starter alternator and a 48v on-board network for “sailing” and energy recovery) are indicative of the quantum progress Mercedes, in the field of hybridization of diesel engines.
The formula of the light hybrid is used by BMW both to support 6-cylinder sports cars in force at 340d, X5, X6xDrive40d, and on the 4-cylinder Twinpower 190 horsepower Series 3, X3 and X4. The mild hybrid diesel is also present in the entire Land Rover fleet and in the mechanics of two Volvos which, after the approval obtained for the XC40, has put the XC60 powered by the diesel mild hybrid on sale.
The quantity and quality of choice for those who need a diesel-powered vehicle with which to travel, denotes how despite the leaden horizons, this type of fuel continues to represent a practical, usable, enjoyable solution with low operating costs. If the car will be used mainly in the city, the petrol full-hybrids or the small electric car (ideally recharged with green energy) represent the optimum.
The extra costs required for plug-in cars (available with both diesel and petrol engines), are justified only in the daily recharging of the battery pack in order to take advantage of the full-electric distance (between 40 and 100km depending on the model) in the urban centers and surroundings. However, it must be said that when traveling without residual electrical sap, the plug-in battery pack is substantially additional weight. In the case of all the engines mentioned, the dividing line between efficiency and waste lies primarily in the choice of the most suitable engine for the place where it will be used, and for personal needs. And therefore, if the car has to withstand four-zero annual mileage with large loads in tow, the latest generation mild hybrid diesels are currently the most practical, convenient and cost-effective solution for the consumer.
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