Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Pickups Diesels Diesels in the News
8144 messages, Last post on Dec 03, 2009 at 4:39 PM
You are in the Diesels Forum. Your Host is kcram
|
Replying to: hypnosis44 (Apr 14, 2007 6:23 pm) http://www.biodiesel.com/ Pacific Biodiesel, Inc. was born in 1996 as the answer to grave concerns over potential environmental and health problems resulting from restaurant grease clogging the Central Maui Landfill. Robert King, owner of King Diesel on Maui, who was contracted to maintain the generators at the Landfill, decided to do something about it. The small scale, economically feasible Maui operation was recognized by biodiesel authorities nationwide as one of the first commercially viable biodiesel plants in the U.S. In 1997, Japanese businessman Soichiro "Sol" Yoshida contracted Pacific Biodiesel to design and build a similar plant for his Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Nagano, Japan. (That plant now processes used cooking oil from 60 restaurants, producing biodiesel that completely powers one KFC restaurant as well as many cars, trucks, and industrial engines.) |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: jkinzel (Apr 06, 2007 12:54 pm) Agreed. Also, the perception of the indispensability of the automobile is at the heart of our auto dependency. The massive investment to "perfect" and rationalize the irrational could have long ago mitigated most of our transportation problems and issues had it been wisely directed. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: gagrice (Apr 07, 2007 8:07 pm) My post dealt with the absence of inclusionary discussion, not the balance in his posts, where he did however state that he felt diesels had a place, but were not the be all and end all. I do not see that same inclusion here, but a general dismissal of Hybrids, and gas cars for that matter, as a part of the pantheon of choices. "Plus you would be saving on fossil fuel for yourself and for your children." I think the real savings is going to come as a severe jolt to most of us when the artificial dependence on the automobile is cracked. As much as I love cars, and have since I could see one, I hope my grandchildren, now six and two, see that day.
|
|
|
I wonder if CARB knows there are diesels running in Long Beach. Maybe they have 7500 miles on them. This weekend the American LeMans Series is making it's first visit to the Monaco of America, more commonly known as Long Beach, California. Since the Formula One cars stopped running at Long Beach in the early 1980s, Champ Cars have always been the headliners on Shoreline Drive. This year they will be joined by the ALMS gang led by the storming Audi R10 diesels. The Audi's will be trying to repeat their one-two finish from the St. Petersburg street race two weeks ago and continue their undefeated streak. |
|
|
This might get me to give up my PU truck. Heard the one about the 6.6 V8 that’ll do 70mpg? One Norfolk car maker doesn’t reckon it’s a joke. In case the massive V8 was not a big enough giveaway, we should point out that this is not a Lotus. This car comes from Norfolk’s other car maker, Trident Performance Vehicles, based at Beeston. Trident is launching its new two-seater Iceni sports car, and it’s doing so by attempting to drive from Norwich to Monaco – around 1000 miles - on a single tank of fuel. It’s not quite as mad as it seems: the Trident has 100-litre fuel tank, and its 6.6-litre V8 is a diesel. At 56mph, they reckon the Iceni can manage 70mpg. What’s more, the Iceni will be running biodiesel. The car will be driven by Trident’s sales director, Kelly Bevan, and journalist Suzannah Sorrell. It leaves Norwich on 17 April, and aims to get to Monaco for the Top Marques motor show on the 19th. Even if they use some of the car’s performance – it is claimed to do 0-60mph in 3.9sec and 170mph flat out – we reckon there will be plenty of fuel: at 70mpg, |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: coontie57 (Apr 06, 2007 10:05 am) If the only knowledge of diesels I had was my own experience, I would have to say that based on my ex's blown up Mercedes diesel at 200k, and the Taxi drivers in my area driving diesels and replacing them at 200k, and the gas taxi drivers going to 300k, and my own experience of driving gas cars to more than 200k and selling them for more than I paid used with 100K on them, then I would have to say that the claims for diesel are not supported by the facts. However, the world is larger than my factual experience and when I read that diesels last longer, despite my own and others experience, I tend to believe it. Additionally, the idea that gas cars typically leave the scene at 100k is easily belied by looking at the premium prices being paid for used gas vehicles with more than 100k on them. (Yes, I know diesels are getting premium prices as well, I just helped a friend buy a pristine 2002 TDI.) Is there a likely mechanical endurance advantage of diesel over gas? probably; is it overwhelming and compelling? I don't know how one can make that claim without more information to base it on. Are there other reason to buy or not to buy a diesel? They are probably as many, varied and random as humans are. It would be useful to see a credible life cycle analysis of the true costs, all factors included, of diesel vs gas. It seems that there probably is some advantage, and it may be increasing, but "seeming" and "having" are not the same.
|
|
|
Replying to: hypnosis44 (Apr 14, 2007 9:16 pm) However, the world is larger than my factual experience and when I read that diesels last longer, despite my own and others experience, I tend to believe it. Additionally, the idea that gas cars typically leave the scene at 100k is easily belied by looking at the premium prices being paid for used gas vehicles with more than 100k on them. (Yes, I know diesels are getting premium prices as well, I just helped a friend buy a pristine 2002 TDI.) Is there a likely mechanical endurance advantage of diesel over gas? probably; is it overwhelming and compelling? I don't know how one can make that claim without more information to base it on. Are there other reason to buy or not to buy a diesel? They are probably as many, varied and random as humans are. It would be useful to see a credible life cycle analysis of the true costs, all factors included, of diesel vs gas. It seems that there probably is some advantage, and it may be increasing, but "seeming" and "having" are not the same."... First off the population of gassers vs diesels in the passenger vehicle fleet is upwards of 97% vs less than 3%. So if you are looking for a like vol and percentage data base for passenger diesels, you have a very long time to wait. Indeed it truly is not there. So why do you ignore the trucking side where almost 100% of the tractors (of the tractor and trailer rig) are diesel? If gassers had the durability and advantage you would think at best most would be gassers. Most are diesels!! It is not uncommon for tractors to have 1M miles on them. You probably have noticed that a lot of Fed EX and UPS trucks that deliver to your door are diesel. Some diesels are so advantageous that they can even be rebuilt without removing the engine.
|
|
|
Replying to: hypnosis44 (Apr 14, 2007 1:59 pm) Actually you answered your own quote with another of your following posts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel You did post this? The potential exists for bio diesel from algae cultivation. The potential gals per acre is HUGE in comparison to the example (corn) you cite. You might wish to go to that article you posted about biodiesel and report what the figures actually are for corn (18 gals) vs algae (10,000 gals) per acre of cultivation. The point (utility) to me is "IF" there is a policy shift to bio diesel; bio diesel can be gotten literally from a myraid of sources, i.e., most of them NOT wanting to bring down civilization as WE know it. Indeed most of the ways we get unleaded regular is seen as environmentally unfriendly. Of course, the wide scale cultivation of algae from lands close to the sea (water, does limitless come to mind??) will probably be nix by the environmentalists... The environmentalists have long ago locked up the coasts, probably envisioning this most viable way of energy self sufficiency. You know those very same people that want to SAVE the planet from unleaded regular???? Very very strange bed fellows!!??....... |
|
|
Replying to: hypnosis44 (Apr 14, 2007 4:20 pm) I do not think that the difference between American and European family vehicle fleets is nowadays as wide as it was in the past. This is anyway an opinion, not an estimate. Track fleets are different, I believe. Big tracks for merchandise transport have clean-diesel engines in Europe, with all the new developments such a common rail injection, filters, etc. You can drive in the middle of a gang of those trucks without coughing or getting a headache. On the other hand, I am not the average of European drivers for sure, but the average of my driving a 2004 BMW 530d for 38 months now is 41.63 miles per gallon (USA Units). This has been achieved through 73% of road driving and 27% of downtown sneaking. Some of my friends, also drivers of similar diesel cars, say this consume is higher than theirs. I am not sure, since they tend to underestimate their consume and overestimate their speed.  Regards from Spain, which is as European as Ireland, Jose |
|
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
