Last month we posted on a story from ZDNet on carmakers' push to develop Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engines, those in which ignition happens by cylinder compression — like in a diesel engine — not via a spark plug. Now, Edmunds Inside Line refers to a Wall Street Journal report on Honda's efforts to combine such an engine with a hybrid-drive system. The goal would be a hybrid that gets 65 miles per gallon, higher than a Toyota Prius on its best day. A prototype four-cylinder HCCI system could be ready by early as next year (for Detroit, maybe?). If these engines catch on, what hell do we do with all those torque wrenches? (Oh, and we'd probably have to think about shorting Federal Mogul stock.)

Honda Plans Diesel Engine and 65-mpg Hybrid for U.S. [Edmunds]

Related:
Will the Spark Plug Go the Way of the Dodo? [internal]

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