the real keys to cutting gasoline/oil consumption
09-10-12, 08:33 PM
#31
Lexus Fanatic
Instead of trying every possible alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel, we need to just stop using fuel burning engines altogether. I see absolutely no point in spending money to adapt to other gasoline like fuels, that investment will be far, far better served poured into R&D for battery tech and new/cleaner methods of electricity generation. There will still be a place for fuel burning engines for a long time to come, things like heavy machinery, transport trucks, maybe sports cars. If we could even replace half the petrol burning cars with electrics in the next 30 years, that would be a tremendous step towards complete freedom from dino burners.
But that's why a car like the Volt is nearly ideal for the transition period. Sure the car is priced too high, but you have to start somewhere. I don't get why Toyota is dragging their feet so much in offering a plug in Prius. The tech is already there, just put in a larger, more high tech battery and some other minor changes, and that's your version of the Volt, more or less.
But that's why a car like the Volt is nearly ideal for the transition period. Sure the car is priced too high, but you have to start somewhere. I don't get why Toyota is dragging their feet so much in offering a plug in Prius. The tech is already there, just put in a larger, more high tech battery and some other minor changes, and that's your version of the Volt, more or less.
09-10-12, 09:23 PM
#32
I know that besides biodiesel, there's also home heating oil that is chemically almost identical to commercially sold diesel fuel, but its much cheaper because it doesn't carry the road tax. Oil companies add special coloring to it, so it can be identified if someone is illegally using it to power their vehicle.
Well, I can give you one example right here...on the modern Bluetec diesels used in some BMW and Mercedes products. They can be a joy to drive, for several reasons (witness my auto-reviews of them). But, unlike the smaller U.S.-market VW/Audi TDI diesels, the Bluetecs require periodic tank-refills (roughly every 10-15K miles) of a urea-solution that, when sprayed into the diesel's exhaust, helps to clean up the soot and particulates that the other emission-controls don't catch. Those urea-refills, though, are sometimes covered for a time (when applicable) by the BMW and Mercedes free-maintenance programs. Also, since the end of 2005, the Euro-style low-sulfur diesel, which is also a requirement for many new diesels, has been sold in the U.S....it previously was unavailable here.
Just out of curiosity......does your 2005 Ford truck-diesel require the low-sulfur fuel and/or the urea-solution? MeThinks probably not, as diesel-emissions back then generally did not apply to trucks.
Just out of curiosity......does your 2005 Ford truck-diesel require the low-sulfur fuel and/or the urea-solution? MeThinks probably not, as diesel-emissions back then generally did not apply to trucks.
But never mind the urea solution, there are many other problems with modern diesels. First of all they are mostly direct injected - and even gasoline powered direct injected engines suffer from soot and carbon built up problems - and these problems are far worse in a diesel. Then it has very complicated emissions system, with three EGR valves that are expensive and constantly get clogged up, six (i think) catalytic converters which are very expensive, extremely high pressure fuel lines and injectors that are also very expensive to repair. There's no way I would risk compromising any of these components to save a few bucks by using some questionable home brewed fuel.
09-10-12, 09:33 PM
#33
Guest
Posts: n/a
Instead of trying every possible alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel, we need to just stop using fuel burning engines altogether. I see absolutely no point in spending money to adapt to other gasoline like fuels, that investment will be far, far better served poured into R&D for battery tech and new/cleaner methods of electricity generation. There will still be a place for fuel burning engines for a long time to come, things like heavy machinery, transport trucks, maybe sports cars. If we could even replace half the petrol burning cars with electrics in the next 30 years, that would be a tremendous step towards complete freedom from dino burners.
But that's why a car like the Volt is nearly ideal for the transition period. Sure the car is priced too high, but you have to start somewhere. I don't get why Toyota is dragging their feet so much in offering a plug in Prius. The tech is already there, just put in a larger, more high tech battery and some other minor changes, and that's your version of the Volt, more or less.
But that's why a car like the Volt is nearly ideal for the transition period. Sure the car is priced too high, but you have to start somewhere. I don't get why Toyota is dragging their feet so much in offering a plug in Prius. The tech is already there, just put in a larger, more high tech battery and some other minor changes, and that's your version of the Volt, more or less.
09-10-12, 10:15 PM
#34
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
iTrader: (20)
no, but i'd like certified conversion dealers to be allowed who could do the conversion for my neighbor, or me.
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