Your comment indicates that the lack of logic and common sense is one sided. "We have to pass the bill to see what's in the bill"? That's a gem of common sense for certain.
In the late 80s/early 90s you penned the TekWar series of novels that spun off a few different franchises. Did you consider this a success and do you intend to do any more sci-fi writing in the future?
While the vibration part is still mostly true (rubber mounts have helped, but at the end of the day, it's a Vtwin, and the nature of them is to be a bit rough, particularly when you don't have balance shafts and such), the leaky part is a bit out of date: The latest Evolution motor and the new Revolution motor (The engine in the VRod, which is a radical departure from HD's Revolution) are, by all accounts, fairly good mills.
You are aware of the charge time and weight of batteries, yes? If pure electric vehicles are going to be sorted, fuel storage is going to have to get a magnitude better than it is currently.
Ford already make a 5 door 5 seat hatch that does 65mpg - they just don't make it or sell it in the US.
They whined about fleet average economy requirements in europe too - but they haven't withdrawn from the market, and the fast and/or big low-mpg cars are still around. What's been noticeable that marketing and new models for the basic high-volume stuff has shifted to emphaise mpg. Sort out your main rental / company / commuter car market and the small percentage who need to tow heavy equipment is lost in the noise.
Because these tiny cars don't sell well in the states. They can't force the market to purchase what they don't want. That said, the Festiva did go on sale over here last year. I don't have sales figures on it in front of me.
Hell, 20 years ago, a 1983 VW rabbit could get 54 mpg.
And it was a miserable little tin can powered by an asthmatic diesel motor that could barely get out of its own way, much less keep up on busy interstates. The average American consumer doesn't want that.
It's well documented that if you drive near the edge of the performance envelope of any vehicle it's not going to get good fuel mileage. The performance envelope of a econobox is significantly smaller than most GT cars.:)
The rich, and those with more money than sense, subsidize everyone else's play by purchasing useless cosmetic doohickeys that fund further development of the game to the enjoyment and benefit of all.
Why can't the real world work this way?
I'd say that it is mostly implemented already: I've never been employed by a poor person, and only in very rare instances those that fit the middle class mold.
just a few posts above you there was a statement saying "The US isn't the center of the universe". Yet the implication here is that Americans are the primary fan of automotive sports.
For more "conventional" truck racing, I submit the following:
Sadly, the former isn't carried in the states that I've seen. The latter two have some ESPN coverage.
And to complain that "they're not racing Tahoes and Suburbans" is a straw man: The major NASCAR stuff isn't anything you can walk in and purchase either. To call it "stock car" racing these days is a misnomer at best, and an outright lie at worst. The CLOSEST that I know of that you can get to "stock car" racing is either local tracks (mostly ovals, unfortunately),GT class in the Rolex series, some Rally stuff (which ARE heavily modified factory vehicles), or some of the dedicated series, like the SCCA's Spec Miata or the Porsche SuperCup. None of these have a huge following in the states.
I can't speak as to why NASCAR has the following it does here. I suspect it's just one of those serendipity things that was "right time/right place". Not bad for a bunch of moonshiners-cum-hoonagains.
Oh, and yes, there is organized lawn tractor racing. If you'd quit being so negative, I'm certain that if you have any inclination to motorized competition, you'd find something that you'd think was hilarious.
Might I point out that Audi's TDI has done particularly well in the LMP class over the last few years of Lemans series? The problem is not the fuel source. The problem, at least in the states is a combined regulation and perception issue.
The idea being put forth is that you can change that design much more simply with this. Think "perfectly hemispherical combustion chamber, with no intrusions".
I disagree with the $3 comment: If it nets real improvements in fuel economy or power it will be picked up by most manufacturers. In the states, the "combined fleet economy" regulation is about to go up pretty significantly over the next few years. This kind of research is important to all auto manufacturers (but particularly to those who build primarily on the low end) as long as they produce or use internal combustion engines.
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Your comment indicates that the lack of logic and common sense is one sided. "We have to pass the bill to see what's in the bill"? That's a gem of common sense for certain.
In the late 80s/early 90s you penned the TekWar series of novels that spun off a few different franchises. Did you consider this a success and do you intend to do any more sci-fi writing in the future?
While the vibration part is still mostly true (rubber mounts have helped, but at the end of the day, it's a Vtwin, and the nature of them is to be a bit rough, particularly when you don't have balance shafts and such), the leaky part is a bit out of date: The latest Evolution motor and the new Revolution motor (The engine in the VRod, which is a radical departure from HD's Revolution) are, by all accounts, fairly good mills.
What kind of current do you get out of that 220? In the states the 110 generally gets 15-20 amps per circuit.
for photographing the event? http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/travel/detail?entry_id=96365
End of an era. /. is and has been in good hands.
What do you plan to do from now on? Are you going to pursue the Peter Gibbons dream of doing nothing?
Waiting for the obligatory "f'n a, man. f'n a..."
Sounds good, but I will only buy one if they design the thorium receptacle to look like a "Mr Fusion" machine.
There's an XKCD addressing this... http://xkcd.com/670/
Lost sales are just that: Nothing. They don't exist. There are unsold units, but just because you have unsold units doesn't mean you have lost sales.
You haven't factored in the entire package: Batteries are not light, and nor are they "add more and go", unlike petrol or diesel powered machines.
You are aware of the charge time and weight of batteries, yes? If pure electric vehicles are going to be sorted, fuel storage is going to have to get a magnitude better than it is currently.
Ford already make a 5 door 5 seat hatch that does 65mpg - they just don't make it or sell it in the US.
They whined about fleet average economy requirements in europe too - but they haven't withdrawn from the market, and the fast and/or big low-mpg cars are still around. What's been noticeable that marketing and new models for the basic high-volume stuff has shifted to emphaise mpg. Sort out your main rental / company / commuter car market and the small percentage who need to tow heavy equipment is lost in the noise.
Because these tiny cars don't sell well in the states. They can't force the market to purchase what they don't want. That said, the Festiva did go on sale over here last year. I don't have sales figures on it in front of me.
Hell, 20 years ago, a 1983 VW rabbit could get 54 mpg.
And it was a miserable little tin can powered by an asthmatic diesel motor that could barely get out of its own way, much less keep up on busy interstates. The average American consumer doesn't want that.
It's well documented that if you drive near the edge of the performance envelope of any vehicle it's not going to get good fuel mileage. The performance envelope of a econobox is significantly smaller than most GT cars. :)
I seem to remember some mass market minivan that had a fibreglass body... It's not an insurmountable problem.
That would be the Renault Espace. I don't know if it meets USDOT crash standards, tho.
Civil conversations on Slashdot? Be still my beating heart!
Don't be silly. Valve can't count to 3! The next one will be Half-Life 2, Episode 2, Part 2.
You sir, are an evil EVIL person for even suggesting such a thing.
The rich, and those with more money than sense, subsidize everyone else's play by purchasing useless cosmetic doohickeys that fund further development of the game to the enjoyment and benefit of all.
Why can't the real world work this way?
I'd say that it is mostly implemented already: I've never been employed by a poor person, and only in very rare instances those that fit the middle class mold.
In America, the Lobbyists are the Government!
Wake up and smell the coffee. You're living in the past.
This would imply that Lobbyists aren't citizens. I suspect that in most cases this is not a true statement.
Looks like it's time to store away my red barchetta up at my brothers farm. Maybe someday my son will get to drive it.
There is so much win here I cannot begin to express it. Bravo to you, Mr. Rush fan.
Did you mean something like this?
Not that I'm complaining about that.
For more "conventional" truck racing, I submit the following:
http://www.formulatruck.com.br/
http://www.torcseries.com/
http://www.wsorr.com/
Sadly, the former isn't carried in the states that I've seen. The latter two have some ESPN coverage.
And to complain that "they're not racing Tahoes and Suburbans" is a straw man: The major NASCAR stuff isn't anything you can walk in and purchase either. To call it "stock car" racing these days is a misnomer at best, and an outright lie at worst. The CLOSEST that I know of that you can get to "stock car" racing is either local tracks (mostly ovals, unfortunately),GT class in the Rolex series, some Rally stuff (which ARE heavily modified factory vehicles), or some of the dedicated series, like the SCCA's Spec Miata or the Porsche SuperCup. None of these have a huge following in the states.
I can't speak as to why NASCAR has the following it does here. I suspect it's just one of those serendipity things that was "right time/right place". Not bad for a bunch of moonshiners-cum-hoonagains.
Oh, and yes, there is organized lawn tractor racing. If you'd quit being so negative, I'm certain that if you have any inclination to motorized competition, you'd find something that you'd think was hilarious.
Apologies for being so far off-topic. :)
Might I point out that Audi's TDI has done particularly well in the LMP class over the last few years of Lemans series? The problem is not the fuel source. The problem, at least in the states is a combined regulation and perception issue.
The idea being put forth is that you can change that design much more simply with this. Think "perfectly hemispherical combustion chamber, with no intrusions".
I disagree with the $3 comment: If it nets real improvements in fuel economy or power it will be picked up by most manufacturers. In the states, the "combined fleet economy" regulation is about to go up pretty significantly over the next few years. This kind of research is important to all auto manufacturers (but particularly to those who build primarily on the low end) as long as they produce or use internal combustion engines.