I’ve been waiting for a diesel hybrid for a while now. It seemed obvious that this should have been in R&D since the advent of clean diesel technology. But of course a few years went by. I figured VW would give this a go as one of their first Hybrid models. However, Volvo was the one to step up. Not only is it going to be a Diesel Hybrid, they are going beyond that to a plug-in hybrid model. This is great news.

A car that can get you 30-40 miles daily, purely on electricity. Most commuters will have no problem keeping their car within that range daily. If you do happen to go over, you get the efficiency of a diesel engine which should easily get in the high 30 to low 40 mpg range. Reports say this would be “a reality” by 2012 in the European market. Hopefully soon after in the US.

Go Volvo!

The overall shape of this new Honda, you could argue is a complete rip off of the Toyota Prius. That may not be a bad thing, for Honda at least. Here are a couple spy shots of the Honda doing some extreme weather testing in the deserts of the south west. Honda would argue that it is more of a relative of their FCX Clarity Hyrdrogen.

Regarless of the look, this thing is sure to get some great gas-mileage if it is supposed to be a better competitor to the Prius. Look for MPG ratings we would peg around 48-55 MPG! Exciting news for Honda as more and more people are convinced Hybrids are the way to go.

Look for this car on showroom floors in late 2009.

Toyota will start assembling its Camry hybrid cars in Australia in early 2010 and aim to produce 10,000 of them a year, in its latest effort to popularize such fuel-efficient vehicles.

That would make Australia the fourth country to build gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles.

“We decided to build the Camry hybrid in Australia because Australians are keenly aware of environmental issues including global warming,” Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe told a news conference in Nagoya, central Japan, attended by visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The first new dedicated hybrid vehicle, due in 2009, will be offered as a 5-door hatchback with seating for five passengers and will employ an exterior design concept that evokes the FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle. With the new hybrid, Honda is aiming to produce the most affordable hybrid on the market. Fuel economy for the new car is expected to exceed 40 miles per gallon. Hopefully much more than 40 mpg. 65+ mpg would be a great target and would definitely help surpass the sales of the Prius.

“Prius vehicles worldwide have contributed to a reduction in CO2 emissions (considered a cause of global warming) by producing approximately 4.5 million tons*² less CO2″

For more info, see the official press release here.

Sadly, BMW most likely would not have plans for such a model if the new CAFE standards were not going to take effect 2012. With the new CAFE standards BMW will be considered a “large vehicle manufacturer,” which means that it will be held to more stringent efficiency standards.

In an interview Tuesday with Mobile Magazine, Reithofer suggested that the vehicle could be a collaboration with another carmaker. “Our goal is a cooperation but if it does not work out, we will do it alone. We will make a decision this year,” he said. Reithofer added that the new vehicle might serve as the basis for the global launch of a new “mini car” designed for big cities.