printYou don’t need a commie car to conserve (your private) resources. “A 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI powered with Shell ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel” will do just fine. (My Turbocharged GTI is pretty thrifty and never gutless, as the Jetta tends to be.) Tire Business has the goods:
“Australian drivers Helen and John Taylor recently broke the ’48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy’ Guinness World Record, driving a car fitted with Goodyear’s Assurance Fuel Max tires.
The couple previously set the record in 2008 at 58.82 miles per gallon, driving 9,419 miles in a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI powered with Shell ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. Their new record, which was set using the same car, fuel and driving route, stands at an average of 67.9 mpg.
According to Goodyear, the pair began their trip July 28 in Sterling, Va., and traveled in a counter-clockwise route that included 14 official check-in and refueling stops across the country. They crossed the finish line at a Virginia Tire & Auto retail outlet in Ashburn, Va.”
Mrs. Taylor attempted to explain to Contessa Brewer—MSNBC’s large-faced, childish, lip-smacking anchor—that driving in high gear (and not necessarily slowly) conserves fuel. In other words, driving well. But Tess had only ever driven an automatic really really slowly, and so lost interest. Her focus further waned when she discovered (by stepping right into the trap and asking) that the fuel-efficient vehicle was not a commie car. A research assistant or producer will be in hot water.
Still, and as a I’ve written, “Perhaps the biggest obfuscation in the gimmick-car racket—which President Bush had fallen for too—has to do with the source of the energy. Whether a vehicle is propelled by hydrogen-powered fuel cells or electricity, both electricity and hydrogen don’t magically materialize in the vehicle. They must first be generated. Be it coal, natural gas, nuclear or a hydroelectric dam, these cars are only as clean as the original source of energy that generated the vim that powers them.
Other than to increase the consumption of gas, because people drive more in them, mandating so-called fuel-efficient cars is a grand exercise in compulsory misallocation and waste of capital. It proves that the development of technologies is best left to the market, not to environmental bureaucracies.”
I’m not sure of the specifics, but it seems like we have an anti-diesel policy in the U.S. Europeans love their diesel cars and they’ve made them so that they are as clean as gasoline cars. I’m no automotive engineer but it seems like they’re more efficient. What gives?
I’m sure the federal government has a perfectly logical, benevolent reason for its policies and certainly isn’t acting to benefit any entrenched interest groups, because that would be just unfathomable!
I’ve always questioned why the large auto company’s haven’t manufactured natural or propane gas vehicles. They don’t get as good a mileage, and if you convert one, it costs a fortune. However,if built on the auto assembly line, the price would be lower. America has vast deposits, reserves of natural gas and its cheaper than gasoline or diesel. Of course that would take the politics out, wouldn’t it. Personally, my favorite is a F-250 long bed. Auto tranny for my wife, who can push a stick, but don’t like to.
“Whether a vehicle is propelled by hydrogen-powered fuel cells or electricity, both electricity and hydrogen don’t magically materialize in the vehicle.” – Then there is also the issue of disposing of feul cells causing harm to the enviroment.
Call me insensitive, but my dream cars are (if I really have to limit my choices) a ’64 Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger (orange like the one in Dukes of Hazard, and the black one in Fast and Furious with one mother of a blower and evil sounding V8) and a Mustang GT500 (Gone in 60 Seconds). Nothing like a beautiful car to get my hart racing.
In my view the contribution to global warming (if it exists) as a result of CO2 levels by car emmissions are overstated.
Too bad the new retro-styled Dodge Charger will not make it to the shores of SA anymore (global economic crisis).
Burning coal to make electricity, half of it being wasted in transmission lines, to power electric cars. Right. Instead of looking at one more ‘Holy Grail’ (fuel efficient cars), it would make more sense to focus on fuel efficient lifestyles. I mostly cycle to work or to the grocery store. I don’t give a hoot about my car’s EPA rating, and would not enjoy being lectured to about it.
Bob, Diesel-engines are more efficient because of a very simple reason: their higher torque makes it possible to have greater gear ratios, therefore turning your driving wheels further per engine revolution, in other words, a Diesel engine at 4000 rpm in 5th gear is powerful enough to keep you at eg 100 mph, while a similar displacement petrol engine would need to do it at 6000 rpm, therefore in this example the diesel engine only needs to burn 2/3s the fuel to keep you moving along.
The above info supposes a 1.4 liter engine (Vauxhall Corsa).
Almost bought one a while back, but my wife said it was a little too small. The test drive I had was a fine one though.
This is just the type of thing I am explaining to my readers. While it’s good to check EPA gas mileage ratings before buying a car, you can easily get better MPG by simply driving more fuel efficiently and maintaining your car as per the owners manual’s instructions.
I look forward to checking out your sources for this article, and perhaps finding the video footage you described here. Hilarious!
Diesels are more efficient because diesel has greater energy density than gasoline (petrol) plus diesels don’t suffer pumping losses due to a throttle.
Also, diesels must be built more robustly than comparable gasoline engines because diesels operate at a higher compression; this adds to the cost of a diesel. Plus diesels have high pressure fuel pumps. These pumps are costly.
However, diesels do pay off in the long run. Many diesel engines are built so robustly that they will easily run 300,000 miles with no major repairs. Diesel engines in Volvo, Scania, Merceds and Peterbuilt trucks easily run over 1 million miles.