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Old 11-16-2008, 08:17 PM   #50
tw
Read? I only know how to write.
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 11,933
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griff View Post
Years ago my Uncle had one of those little VW pickups with a diesel engine 50plus mpg and ran forever.
I was so disappointed. My 1990s Honda Civic never got better than 49 MPG on consecutive tanks of gasoline.

Meanwhile, what every post forgot to mention. Europeans cars were being designed by people who innovate. Mercedes had performed massive innovation in diesels to make more use of the fuel and significantly lower emissions. Meanwhile, that bus or truck you are following? That is the best innovation from any accountant. How to make a diesel pollute less? Yes, low sulfur fuel is necessary (and we have burned most of that already). But the solution to less emissions is to burn more of that fuel into energy. Lower pollution also means more horsepower and better MPG - when you get your facts from those who do the work - not from MBA trained management.

The solution is not diesels (even though diesels do adapt better to changing loads). The solution is directly traceable to auto companies who did ZERO innovation except when required by government regulation.

Let's see. The Europeans did diesel innovation. Japanese did gasoline innovation (ie hybrids). Americans did what? GM still makes engines without overhead cams (1970 innovation), still makes cars with sub-70 hp/liter engines (1980 innovation), and no hybrids (1990 innovation that even the US government paid for - see the Ford Prodigy and GM Precept - 1999 American hybrids quashed by communists such as Rick Wagoner).

Oh. GM spent $1billion on hydrogen fueled vehicles when anyone with basic high school science or some college training in thermodynamics knows a hydrogen fueled vehicle always was a myth. And according to that Washington Post article, GM is still wasting money on hydrogen fueled vehicles.

Just more examples of a communist bean counter (ie Rick Wagoner) throwing money at problems like a grenade because he does not even drive a car.
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