A conference in the heart of Europe's largest car sales economy has seen a number of top manufacturers utilising the potential of diesel.

At the Frankfurt motor show, DaimlerChrysler was quick to show off its new concept car, the Bluetec Hybrid, which brings together both hybrid technology and diesel power to deliver what the firm claims is the cleanest diesel car in the world.

It is confident that the new car will meet the stringent emissions standards that exist in California, enabling the car to be one of the first diesel-powered vehicles to be sold in the state since the regulations came into force.

DaimlerChrysler's head of research and development, Dr Thomas Weber, commented that the company's strategy is to develop diesel-powered cars that are at least as clean as petrol ones, while looking to create petrol cars that are as efficient as diesel.

However, French firm PSA Peugeot Citroen has bucked the trend among many car manufacturers of looking to hybrids to deliver a solution to the cleaner energy requirements, instead preferring to concentrate its efforts on developing cleaner diesel engines.

And the reasons for this decision were echoed by Ford's president Jim Padilla, who commented: "Hybrids are a small way of participating in the environmental debate but, economically speaking, you can’t justify the cost."

BMW's chief executive Helmut Panke agreed that hybrid technology has limited applications, telling the Sunday Times: “I see it as a niche application. It has its uses in congested areas, but elsewhere you can achieve results that are as good or better with diesel engines."

The comments follow recent suggestions that high petrol prices will provide diesel cars with the platform to take off, as consumers begin to look for cheaper alternatives.

Burkhard Goeschel, head of research and development at BMW, recognised that the expense of hybrids is an issue holding the technology back, stating: "We need to reduce the cost and weight."


Ÿ Adfero Ltd