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#7317 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [roland3] by plekto
Dec 29, 2008 (12:20 am)
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Replying to: roland3 (Dec 28, 2008 11:51 pm)

And yet, there is a solution to all of this that is environmentally friendly, low-polluting, and that we have tons of. Plus, it doesn't cost billions to develop, because it already is here.
 
CNG.
 
My cousin's family has such a vehicle. It is cleaner than diesel, cheaper per mile, requires no fuel filters or additives or other idiocy, thumbs its nose at CARB, and we can make it or similar compounds artificially if the massive amounts that we have in the U.S. are ever exhausted. No corn gets taken from our markets, no toxic metals are required for energy storage, and no exotic components, either.
 
Oh - and the car, a CNG Civic, runs, stops, and starts exactly like a normal one. If we converted our gasoline vehicles over to CNG, we would pretty much solve the entire problem in one step. If you really want to get silly, you can always make a CNG hybrid, but the stuff burns so clean as it is, that it really seems pointless.
 
There. I just saved Obama a few billion dollars.
#7318 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [plekto] by roland3
Dec 29, 2008 (5:16 am)
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 12:20 am)

... I disagree. Most of the problems come from one bottom line. Combustion ! And then you have too many factions trying to control it or think they know what it is. Besides the infrastructure billions you are talking would be far better used for Electric Vehicles.
#7319 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [plekto] by gagrice
Dec 29, 2008 (5:47 am)
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 12:20 am)

I like CNG and EV. The problem with both is range. They are both going to be Commuter only vehicles. You would not be able to drive either one any distance without being stuck. There are many places here in the West and especially in the East that do not even have Natural Gas. There is no Natural Gas in my area and I live 2 miles from the center of town. Using PHILL is ideal for a home owner that has a good NG supply. CNG or EV is not practical for apartments, condos and street parkers. The real issue with CNG is the tank. It takes up a lot more room and needs expensive periodic inspections and maintenance. With less than 200 mile city range the Civic GX would be near impossible to use on a vacation. For some reason the GX is about $3k more than the Civic Hybrid and about $6k over the top of the line Civic EX. And at this time there are no practical EVs for sale in the USA.
 
I personally think the long term answer will be diesel burning fuel made from algae. One process already demonstrated that can produce 35k+ gallons per year on an acre of desert. Corn ethanol is about 18 gallons per acre. Palm diesel is about 600 gallons per acre.
#7320 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [gagrice] by ruking1
Dec 29, 2008 (8:08 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 29, 2008 5:47 am)

..."I personally think the long term answer will be diesel burning fuel made from"...
 
Your ALGAE example is an absolute slam dunk no brainer !!! This is probably why it has literally been ignored and actually vilified. Algae is literally one of the most abundant photosynthesis mechanism on the planet. There is almost no place that it will not grow !! One component of its life cycle (PLEASE PEOPLE GO BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY or a gate program middle school biology class) IS C02 !!!!!! In addition to producing FOOD, ALGAE produces OXYGEN !!! It can also be adapted to work in sewer processing plants. So who ever sees an end to that process and service?
 
Also effective immediately, if the eco gestapo believes their own rhetoric, it should be R & D'd and adapted to ongoing "waste" producing processes '. So again, who ever sees an end to certain processes and services, i.e., food production.
#7321 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [gagrice] by ruking1
Dec 29, 2008 (11:43 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 28, 2008 7:27 pm)

Indeed !!! How would they enforce 49 state legal passenger car entry? Exit!?
 
Enforcement is literally idiotic: in terms of the everyday practicality.
 
President Obama would put the kibosh on it toot sweet ! Keep in mind how many UNION folks it would idle if the fed were to limit ship entry/exit using bunker fuel (upwards of 5,000 ppm sulfur) ! The classic democratic manufacturing states have systematically(over generations) gotten rid of domestic manufacturing capability knowing that foreign produced goods would use these vehicles and logistics systems.
#7322 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [gagrice] by winter2
Dec 29, 2008 (4:01 pm)
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 28, 2008 5:44 pm)

What state are you in?
 
Are you talking about my mental health or where I live?
 
I live in the Peoples Republic of Maryland.
#7323 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [winter2] by gagrice
Dec 29, 2008 (5:29 pm)
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Replying to: winter2 (Dec 29, 2008 4:01 pm)

Ah, I should have remembered that. You mentioned it several times in the Liberty CRD threads. We have had relatively clean diesel since the 1990s, when CARB mandated 130 PPM sulfur diesel. Something like that. The Cetane number seems more difficult to pin point. I just remember BP when they first started pushing their ECD-1 diesel in 2000. It was made available in So CA ARCO stations. It was the earliest 15 PPM sulfur diesel I know of.
 
BP began marketing the cleaner burning fuel in December of 1999 and has been selling it through local and regional resellers and distributors. BP currently supplies about 20 % of the state's 220,000 barrel per day diesel demand, according to California Energy Commission statistics.
 
This CARB file shows BP ECD-1 testing at Cetane 51.3
 
http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/idrac/presentations/Jun01/ECD.pdf
#7324 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [gagrice] by plekto
Dec 29, 2008 (6:28 pm)
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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 29, 2008 5:47 am)

I like CNG and EV. The problem with both is range. They are both going to be Commuter only vehicles. You would not be able to drive either one any distance without being stuck.
****
Obviously the existing infrastructure has to be expanded. But every single municipality that uses CNG vehicles is required by law to sell the CNG to the public. So there almost always *is* a filling station in every major city. Los Angeles has several dozen. the Civic in question comes with a GPS pre-programmed with every station in the U.S. as well.
 
http://www.cngprices.com/
That's a lot of stations, actually. It's small but is viable and isn't any more difficult to implement than propane, which is bought and sold darn near everywhere.
 
Also, on range, CNG is a quick 5-6 minute fill at a station and you're good for 200-250 miles! At whatever speed a normal Civic will go. That's not even close to what you get with electrics. And there are never EVER any batteries to replace. And, this is basically a standard Civic that has been retrofitted. If the car was purpose-built, it could easily have a larger or second tank without any compromises. And a 400-500 mile range. The CNG Civic is a kludge and it still pummels most hybrids and electrics.
 
Lastly, you can get a filling device in your own garage which essentially gives you $1 a "gallon"(equivalent) prices. It's more expensive than electric, but loads less than diesel or gas.
#7325 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [plekto] by gagrice
Dec 29, 2008 (8:27 pm)
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 6:28 pm)

A few years ago I was going to convert my 3/4 ton Chevy PU to LNG or CNG. The conversion was about $5k. The company I talked to had converted a bunch of vehicles for the Navy here in San Diego. At the time there were only 2 stations in all San Diego where you could get CNG. Currently with gas prices where they are CNG is a wash price wise. Using a home fueling device is fine provided you have natural gas. Much of San Diego county does not have natural gas. It is pretty much in the densely populated suburbs and the city. I just read an article that said you could not drive the Civic GX from LA to LV as there were no places midway to fill your tank. Of course you have no real trunk with that big tank. At this point I would prefer a propane conversion with the ability to switch back and forth. Much cheaper to install. Though propane is still outrageous here. My provider as of Friday is charging $3 per gallon. That makes it mighty expensive driving. The other issue is I don't like the Civic as a vehicle to start with. I don't think anyone else is selling CNG anymore. Used to be a bunch. A friend has 3 old CNG Ford cop cars. he uses two for parts to keep one going.
#7326 of 8133
Re: Will CARB & EPA bankrupt the trucking industry? [plekto] by gagrice
Dec 29, 2008 (8:44 pm)
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Replying to: plekto (Dec 29, 2008 6:28 pm)

Just looked at your map. The closest station for me is about 32 miles from the house. If you were going to Phoenix from San Diego you would not likely make it. Last station is in El Centro currently selling at $2.95. It is 248 miles to the next station in Phoenix. If you are driving from LA to Phoenix the last leg is 268 miles. Not a chance I would risk that. As I have said they make good commuter vehicles. Don't hold your breath for them to become mainstream. I want a diesel with a minimum 600 mile highway range. Not a shorter range. That is the main gripe I have with this Sequoia is 350 miles and you are looking for a gas station. If I was buying a small vehicle today it would be the VW Sportwagen TDI. Nothing else in America would have a chance at my wallet.
 
PS
Take Interstate 10 across from AZ and you will find stretches as far as 360 miles between stations with prices as high today as $3.67 per gallon equivalent.

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