Ok, I propose bio-mass fed into the Fischer-Tropsch process. Granted we would still be using hydrocarbons but we wouldn't have to pump them out of the ground.
I wouldn't hold out an old VW beetle as a shining example of automotive engineering. They were slow and since they were an air cooled engine ran rich so basically were a pollution factory. They had some get up and go but didn't have much on the top end. Because they were so simple and cheap they were a popular target for after market modification.
I would love one as well since I would be more after the 4x4 and the high clearance as I don't haul crap that is much bigger than what fits in the trunk of my care (currently the largest I can go is what fits in the back of a ford Bronco II) which covers everything I do with a truck. Even worse is that sometimes the compact pickups cost more than the full size ones (I'm looking at you Dogde).
The issue is that there are lots of people who only think they need a truck because someday they might want to haul something, tow something, or drive on a non paved road. One of my buddies falls into this category, he drives a fully loaded F-350 and says he needs it for hunting (he pisses and moans about getting the paint scratched or getting it dirty), claims he needs it for his boat (another friend has a slightly smaller boat and tows it with a Versa), or says it is for hauling (but won't let you put anything in the bed because it might scratch or dent the bed or wreck the rear springs). So basically his truck is an extension of the penis as it is for most people. My BMW sedan has seen more off truck like activities than most trucks, I have even used it to pull stumps.
Now granted there are people like my neighbor who is a plumber who has an old E-350 van who actually needs it, or yourself who actually has tasks that can't be done with a sedan, but don't kid yourself into thinking that most trucks or truck like vehicles are ever used like that. Recently I did go and get a truck like vehicle because the BMW was a pain for some tasks as I really did need a high clearance vehicle and something to haul big crap around so I bought an old Ford Bronco for $350. It costs me $88 every 6 months to insure and I only put about 3,000 miles on it a year. It is rusty as hell, runs good (burns some oil but it is an 88 and I think it has 250,000 miles on it) and looks horrible as none of the body panels match but does get used for truck activities like hunting, camping, pulling stumps, hauling, and driven on snowy days since I don't really care if it gets totaled.
I have never used or worked with carbon fiber but I would thing that you could repair it like you do other composites like fiberglass. Also having a bent or broken metal frame is usually the end of a vehicle unless it is a collector car where someone is willing to completely rebuild the vehicle so that the can get the frame on a jig to be repaired or straightened.
No it has been used on production vehicles. Here are a couple: Honda Insight BMW 3.0CSL
I could probably find some more for you but those are two that I know of off the top of my head.
It usually isn't the aluminum that rusts but the crappy galvanized bolts or other connectors like hose clamps. If it was the aluminum oxidizing away then why do I still have the factory original aluminum radiator in my car that is 14 years old that basically gets a nice continuous salt spray for 6 months a year in Minnesota. If that wasn't enough for you there is always this part of the aluminum oxide wikipedia article.
I don't disagree there, maybe they should exempt those sold to businesses and anything sold direct to consumers should be included as that really would make a difference since the vast majority of "work trucks" are sold to individuals who use them as an extension of their penises. A good example is my neighbor across the street has an old E-350 van and is a plumber and since he is an independent contractor everything he needs (tools, ladders, parts, and supplies) is in the van, but one of my buddies has a giant F-350 truck (quad cab, long box, Eddie Bauer off road edition) and he claims he needs it to tow his boat. The saddest thing is my sedan (BMW 540i) has seen more off road use than his truck (he is worried the paint might get scratched when driving into hunting areas) and another friend has a boat just a little smaller (both boats can be towed on a single axial trailer) and tows it with a Nissan Versa.
Try Minnesota, the piles of salt left on the road are ridiculous and by the end of winter even our asphalt roads are as white as the snow field. No matter how much I try I can't seem to keep a vehicle from getting rusty, it usually starts on the rocker panels, wheel wells, or very front of the hood. If it is just surface rust I can stop it (sand, prime and paint) but it is a never ending cycle.
Aluminum has been used in the past on some vehicles but will increase the cost of the vehicle due to the increased material cost. Additionally aluminum is widely used in engine blocks with steel piston sleeves especially on higher performance vehicles as a weight saving measure, this also better balances the vehicle.
Unless this new proposed change changes what are exempted then most trucks and SUVs will still be counted. I believe the current standards are vehicles above 10,000 lbs are excluded.
Apparently the only thing stopping progress is there isn't any legislation mandating it, right? So why stop at 60mpg? Why not 1000 mpg?
100 MPG is well within current technology. It was almost achievable 55 or so years ago. With modern technology we could easily reach 100 MPG but you probably wouldn't want to drive those cars.
100 MPG is well within current technology. It was almost achievable 55 or so years ago. With modern technology we could easily reach 100 MPG but you probably wouldn't want to drive those cars.
With the various new technology like better hybrids and fully electric vehicles this doesn't seem unreasonable. Even a fully gasoline powered vehicle that seats 4 could do this. There is a cost to consider in achieving this such that vehicles will need to be much lighter or more all electrics. Both of these cost more than you standard steel framed and skinned standard gasoline engine. Apart from making vehicles lighter you could also make them less powerful but people like zippy cars. Another thing that could be done is increasing the engine efficiency such as by using the Atkinson cycle increasing the compression (this would make it so people would need to use 89 or 91 octane instead of 87), or surface coatings to decrease internal friction. Additionally people are going to have to get use to seeing and using 0 weight oils (I have heard discussions of going to negative weight oil as well) instead of the standard 5w30. I am sure we are going to see some postings here about the magic devices that Detroit is sitting on that would produce 100+MPG on a big pig car, crap that is similar to fuel line magnets, or the infamous water power car.
The difference is that Phone Hacking scandal may have been done against them where as they are doing this to us. World of difference, you just don't get that this is to stop pedophiles, terrorists, Mexican Drug cartels, and gun runners, just think of the children./sarcasm
Unfortunately I can't mod in this discussion so could someone mode the parent down, the "President Chocolate Jesus" is really uncalled for and is just trolling. I don't like President Obama, and agree that the up roar during President Bush's administration over these issues by Democrats is strangely missing (hey at least the Republicans are consistent).
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One of those things is an informed consumer, which I think is the problem.
Ok, I propose bio-mass fed into the Fischer-Tropsch process. Granted we would still be using hydrocarbons but we wouldn't have to pump them out of the ground.
I wouldn't hold out an old VW beetle as a shining example of automotive engineering. They were slow and since they were an air cooled engine ran rich so basically were a pollution factory. They had some get up and go but didn't have much on the top end. Because they were so simple and cheap they were a popular target for after market modification.
I would love one as well since I would be more after the 4x4 and the high clearance as I don't haul crap that is much bigger than what fits in the trunk of my care (currently the largest I can go is what fits in the back of a ford Bronco II) which covers everything I do with a truck. Even worse is that sometimes the compact pickups cost more than the full size ones (I'm looking at you Dogde).
The issue is that there are lots of people who only think they need a truck because someday they might want to haul something, tow something, or drive on a non paved road. One of my buddies falls into this category, he drives a fully loaded F-350 and says he needs it for hunting (he pisses and moans about getting the paint scratched or getting it dirty), claims he needs it for his boat (another friend has a slightly smaller boat and tows it with a Versa), or says it is for hauling (but won't let you put anything in the bed because it might scratch or dent the bed or wreck the rear springs). So basically his truck is an extension of the penis as it is for most people. My BMW sedan has seen more off truck like activities than most trucks, I have even used it to pull stumps.
Now granted there are people like my neighbor who is a plumber who has an old E-350 van who actually needs it, or yourself who actually has tasks that can't be done with a sedan, but don't kid yourself into thinking that most trucks or truck like vehicles are ever used like that. Recently I did go and get a truck like vehicle because the BMW was a pain for some tasks as I really did need a high clearance vehicle and something to haul big crap around so I bought an old Ford Bronco for $350. It costs me $88 every 6 months to insure and I only put about 3,000 miles on it a year. It is rusty as hell, runs good (burns some oil but it is an 88 and I think it has 250,000 miles on it) and looks horrible as none of the body panels match but does get used for truck activities like hunting, camping, pulling stumps, hauling, and driven on snowy days since I don't really care if it gets totaled.
but special interests have some amazing power of ensuring it doesn't actually effect what the companies are producing.
Or the companies could do what MB and BMW do and just say fuck it and pay the fine.
I have never used or worked with carbon fiber but I would thing that you could repair it like you do other composites like fiberglass. Also having a bent or broken metal frame is usually the end of a vehicle unless it is a collector car where someone is willing to completely rebuild the vehicle so that the can get the frame on a jig to be repaired or straightened.
When they were too big to fail
No it has been used on production vehicles. Here are a couple:
Honda Insight
BMW 3.0CSL
I could probably find some more for you but those are two that I know of off the top of my head.
It usually isn't the aluminum that rusts but the crappy galvanized bolts or other connectors like hose clamps. If it was the aluminum oxidizing away then why do I still have the factory original aluminum radiator in my car that is 14 years old that basically gets a nice continuous salt spray for 6 months a year in Minnesota. If that wasn't enough for you there is always this part of the aluminum oxide wikipedia article.
I don't disagree there, maybe they should exempt those sold to businesses and anything sold direct to consumers should be included as that really would make a difference since the vast majority of "work trucks" are sold to individuals who use them as an extension of their penises. A good example is my neighbor across the street has an old E-350 van and is a plumber and since he is an independent contractor everything he needs (tools, ladders, parts, and supplies) is in the van, but one of my buddies has a giant F-350 truck (quad cab, long box, Eddie Bauer off road edition) and he claims he needs it to tow his boat. The saddest thing is my sedan (BMW 540i) has seen more off road use than his truck (he is worried the paint might get scratched when driving into hunting areas) and another friend has a boat just a little smaller (both boats can be towed on a single axial trailer) and tows it with a Nissan Versa.
Try Minnesota, the piles of salt left on the road are ridiculous and by the end of winter even our asphalt roads are as white as the snow field. No matter how much I try I can't seem to keep a vehicle from getting rusty, it usually starts on the rocker panels, wheel wells, or very front of the hood. If it is just surface rust I can stop it (sand, prime and paint) but it is a never ending cycle.
There are other composites that may not be as light as carbon fiber but have been widely used for years in the automotive world.
Aluminum has been used in the past on some vehicles but will increase the cost of the vehicle due to the increased material cost. Additionally aluminum is widely used in engine blocks with steel piston sleeves especially on higher performance vehicles as a weight saving measure, this also better balances the vehicle.
Unless this new proposed change changes what are exempted then most trucks and SUVs will still be counted. I believe the current standards are vehicles above 10,000 lbs are excluded.
Wow I can't type today I even missed it in my proof reading.
Apparently the only thing stopping progress is there isn't any legislation mandating it, right? So why stop at 60mpg? Why not 1000 mpg?
100 MPG is well within current technology. It was almost achievable 55 or so years ago. With modern technology we could easily reach 100 MPG but you probably wouldn't want to drive those cars.
100 MPG is well within current technology. It was almost achievable 55 or so years ago. With modern technology we could easily reach 100 MPG but you probably wouldn't want to drive those cars.
With the various new technology like better hybrids and fully electric vehicles this doesn't seem unreasonable. Even a fully gasoline powered vehicle that seats 4 could do this. There is a cost to consider in achieving this such that vehicles will need to be much lighter or more all electrics. Both of these cost more than you standard steel framed and skinned standard gasoline engine. Apart from making vehicles lighter you could also make them less powerful but people like zippy cars. Another thing that could be done is increasing the engine efficiency such as by using the Atkinson cycle increasing the compression (this would make it so people would need to use 89 or 91 octane instead of 87), or surface coatings to decrease internal friction. Additionally people are going to have to get use to seeing and using 0 weight oils (I have heard discussions of going to negative weight oil as well) instead of the standard 5w30. I am sure we are going to see some postings here about the magic devices that Detroit is sitting on that would produce 100+MPG on a big pig car, crap that is similar to fuel line magnets, or the infamous water power car.
It almost makes you wonder if the automakers may have exaggerated the costs of compliance, the way they always do.
I think it is more don't buy the hand that feeds you.
With a price point of around $25 I can waste some money and probably come up with some interesting uses even if I break a few.
I really hate that term as well as it shows someone is a political hack. As it isn't a personal attack I am generally more forgiving.
So will it decrease dropped calls or extend the range? Well either way AT&T can still claim "More bars in more places".
The difference is that Phone Hacking scandal may have been done against them where as they are doing this to us. World of difference, you just don't get that this is to stop pedophiles, terrorists, Mexican Drug cartels, and gun runners, just think of the children. /sarcasm
Unfortunately I can't mod in this discussion so could someone mode the parent down, the "President Chocolate Jesus" is really uncalled for and is just trolling. I don't like President Obama, and agree that the up roar during President Bush's administration over these issues by Democrats is strangely missing (hey at least the Republicans are consistent).