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Automotive News & Views How The 35 mpg Law By 2020 Will Affect The Cars We Will Drive
538 messages, Last post on Jul 31, 2008 at 6:28 AM
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Dec 26, 2007 9:47 am) I'm not sure you could make a vehicle that would only be able to run on a biofuel. If you couldn't then it wouldn't make much sense to give them any kind of CAFE break because it would be just like this E85 flex fuel vehicles boondoggle. The only way most of these see any ethanol in their tanks is if its the oxygenation agent. In addition to that I think one needs to consider how much oil is involved in producing a gallon of biofuel. If producing 2 gallons of biofuel requires 1 gallon of petroleum then I might be inclined to give this type of vehicle 2x it's mileage rating for CAFE purposes. Again that would require it only being capable of running on biofuel, which I question whether or not that is possible.
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Replying to: tpe (Dec 26, 2007 10:04 am) As to ethanol I don't think corn ethanol is the most efficient fuel for the future but for now it's the easiest. Other sources that generate a greater output of BTUs per BTU input hopefully are the 'ethanol of the future'. Butanol is another option with more energy density. But my best hope is diesel from algae or similar process. Diesel engines are naturals for heavy vehicles like trucks. If being powered exclusively by biodiesel fuel becomes efficient then I can see an exemption be offered for these vehicles. |
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Replying to: texases (Dec 25, 2007 7:12 pm) This alone won't get us to 35 mpg but it will give us a significant boost toward the goal. More importantly, it will truly reduce the amount of foreign oil we use immediately. With this new fuel standards, hopefully you'll hear more about it in 2008. If not, don't be surprised if it ends up somewhere overseas and we end up buying it at a significant markup.
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Replying to: dtownfb (Dec 26, 2007 7:52 pm)  
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Replying to: dtownfb (Dec 26, 2007 7:52 pm) That would be logical if the only potential investors were oil companies. But maybe the unbiased experts that other investors have had look at this, aren't as positive as you? There are all sorts of financial investors that would invest if the science is sound. There can't really be any oil company conspiracy, when the funds could be readily available from investment bankers in Hong Kong or Tokyo, or ...
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So let me ask this. Say a company like Ford with a product mix heavily towards trucks and pickups, stays the same as 2020 approaches. Now physics being what it is, they can't quite get to 35mpg for their fleet, while still selling their full and mid-size trucks. What is to prevent them from putting very small engines in them for the initial sale, have the customer take delivery, drive it home and then bring it back for an "aftermarket" Ford V-8 the next day. The truck would be manufactured with the engine mounts and such would all be ready for the V-8. The small engine would be sold back, and go from the dealer to Ford and then stuck in a Focus. I just think there would be a lot of loopholes in this law, that will make the aftermarket thrive. I could also see a lot of sports-car being built with smaller engines tuned electronically for economy, and then you bring the car back in, get the supercharger strapped on, and then the ECU reprogrammed for performance. I think people will still end up driving what they want, and can afford.
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Replying to: kernick (Dec 28, 2007 7:40 am) Physics doesn't say that trucks can't get 35 mpg. Physics says that trucks with the aero of a brick, engines with pitiful power-displacement ratios, and the footprint of a handicapped school bus can't get 35 mpg.
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Replying to: bumpy (Dec 28, 2007 8:03 am) (we have asthma inhalers around this household, and I sort of like the idea of keeping the particulates down to a manageable level). That said, I like the 35mph fleet idea more for the hope that I'll have more buying options that will still save me gas money. I'm too cheap to buy a car that doesn't get at least 20ish around town.
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Replying to: bumpy (Dec 28, 2007 8:03 am) Well if the engineers at any of the auto manufacturers could do that, don't you think their company would want that design? If Chevy could make a truck with 35 mpg that had truck-capabilities don't you think that would give GM the whole market? and GM wouldn't do that? Maybe you'd like to design that for them? You could probably make a few billion $'s! |
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Replying to: kernick (Dec 28, 2007 10:07 am) Anyway, start with a Holden Ute, bring the drag coefficient down to 0.275, install the 6-speed 2-mode hybrid with a 0.5 overdrive, and debore the 2.9 V6 diesel in the Euro CTS down to 2.5L for the mileage bump. |
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