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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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Good reminder about profits vs. "sales numbers".
The last stinkpot gasser I've seen was a few months ago on the Smokies trip (appropriate, eh?)
If I got out of the house more, I could see one or more oil burners here every day. All trucks, granted.
So assuming 24 M CA registered vehicles, that is app 1.14 M gassers (95% x 5% ) and 60,000 diesels (5% x 5% they do not cite PVF diesels as problematic) POTENTIAL scofflaws. This would mean the potential and probably actual gasser scofflaws are closer to 19 TIMES (1900% +) more prevalent with diesels scofflaws being .0025%. Needless to say this is HUGE HUGE HUGE.
We also know that RUG/PUG has FAR more pollutive potential, aka 30 to 90 ppm sulfur vs 15 ppm D2 but nominally delivered @ 5 to 10 ppm sulfur. So additionally and practically, RUG/PUG delivers 2 times to 18 TIMES more pollution on emissions controlled vehicles ALREADY !!!
We all know who gets the blame.
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/10/07/volvo-reveals-450-hp-four-cylinder-with-electrically-driven-turbo/?intcmp=features
1. stick shift
2. $$$'s
3. the fact NEITHER gas (aka TRIPLE turbo) nor (article hints @ 1 turbo diesel will probably be offered in US markets
is it is a "Waiting For Godot " proposition. (the article indicate a GASSER, aka 450 hp PETROL, triple turbo, 4 cylinder engine ) AND (less than 3 , most 2) turbo diesel ????
(..."Volvo has revealed a similar concept based on a gasoline engine." (sic, AUDI electric turbo with exhaust gas turbo, that HAPPENS to be on a diesel),
"And even with the tougher European rules, diesel vehicles will remain far more polluting than petrol." (dailymail.co.uk) The California study is just a couple of years old. (LA Times)
Next is coulda? woulda? shoulda?
"This week, Professor Frank Kelly, chairman of the Department of Health's committee on air pollution, said diesel engines could be responsible for more than 7,000 deaths a year because of the pollutants they emit."
Let's assume that coulda, woulda,shoulda be true.
Do you think it is a coincidence the article/s leaves out the SAME "could be responsible for" X,XXX deaths a year due to RUG/PUG, and ethanol ? Would the article have you believe those numbers are ZERO, ZERO and ZERO ??? Needless to say "coincidently" they leave off the pollution potential of RUG/PUG vs D2 of 30 to 90 ppm sulfur vs 15 ppm nominally delivered @ 5 to 10 ppm. Oh and coincidently the article leaves off the ZERO ppm sulfur of BIODIESEL.
Each article also leaves out the sea ports and air ports, construction equipment and trains of which these type vehicles have NO/NADA ZIP emissions controls !!! So for example sea ships use BUNKER oil up to 50,000 ppm sulfur !!!! So given a 5 to 10 ppm that my PVF diesels emit that is 10,000 TIMES 5,000 times GREATER. This is not to mention the exponentially MORE fuel used in comparison. So of course that has also nothing to do with: ..." deaths a year because of the pollutants they emit." ...
So IF we use CA's 24 M PVF. They are saying 95% or 22.8 M RUG/PUG causes ZERO deaths and 5% diesels 1.2 M causes ALL the deaths !!! ???
Very telling comment on that piece - it's a ploy to justify a tax hike now that diesels are mainstream in Britainistan and on the continent.
And to think, the last I check the price of RUG/PUG, ULSD ($7.80 per gal) and a barrel of oil are CRASHING !!!
http://www.petrolprices.com/the-price-of-fuel.html
And their gasoline engined counterparts pollute too.
(Here's the original argument for clean diesels being better for the climate btw, from Scientific America).
Here's a fun chart - it defaults to Jettas, diesel, gas and hybrid. You can use it to compare tailpipe and upstream greenhouse gases. (fueleconomy.gov)
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/automobiles/12-best-cars-when-fuel-economy-is-a-top-priority.html/
"12 Best Cars When Fuel Economy Is A Top Priority"
@fintail, my guess is that just looking at "passenger" rigs (F-450s and under), it's sheer numbers, not just percentages. Kind of like most F-250 Cummins carry way more passengers per mile than "stuff" in the bed.
For the hybrids' $10k to 2 k more, I still prefer the TDI. The gasser seems to be app the same. Kudo's should go to VW for offering LIKE model Jetta's.
Sole in terms of MPG a diesel Pius hybrid would probably trump a gasser hybrid.
While it is good to see CRASHING oil prices, ( AKA GLUT, talking fi channel heads predict LOW 80's from todays 85 to 90 BOE), @ the pump prices of RUG/PUG /ethanol/ULSD does not seem to be following suit. Let's cheer for SUB $3.00 ULSD !!!
Saudi Arabia is so freaked out, they are discounting the price of a BOE so they can maintain their volumes, even when there is HUGE GLUT !!!!!
A diesel thing that thrills me more are the good-ole-boys with monster diesel dual stacks emitting clouds of smoke worthy of a locomotive. My 05 GTO always inspires these guys to stomp on their loud-pedals on the highway - usually I give them the thumbs-up, but for the last one i opened the window and gave him a solid/power double upwards fist-pump. USA! USA! (Australia too.)
I actually would love a (higher # ft of torque) diesel with a VERY robust 7 speed M/T by someone like Tremec. As you and I both, and most know, 7 speed ROBUST M/T's are not destined for our shores. EVEN if they were, they would be outlier and tricky @ best.
A worn out Dodge Caravan.
Mostly white smoke on this one.
In CA, (which I realize is only one of 59 states, or so PO sez) this smoker would fail and not be long for the roads.
That said, half my life I lived in valleys where the smog would build up (and both places had emission testing). It's been kind of nice not having to think about that stuff lying on top of you the last 4+ years.
Off-topic but there's no diesel news and it's kind of a fun "trainspotting" story:
The sound of specific diesel locomotives are distinctive (christiantoday.com.au)
They just did an OBD and tailpipe test in Boise. I don't' know if visible smoke was an automatic fail like the CEL being on was.
Gassers are subjected to a tail pipe emissions sensor and software to actually MEASURE tail pipe emissions (against software standards) .
So for example my 21 year old TLC essential posts "as new (1994) emissions". That is with ZERO/ZIP/NADA emissions work !! I change oil every 20,000 miles. Tune ups are more like 60,000 miles. This thing has close to 250,000 miles !!
ULSD's are ONLY a visual.
My 03 Jetta TDI posts " as new emissions". (I suspect, a there are NO numerical postings) BUT if there is even a slight bit of "smoke, " there is an off chance the Smog Only station could erroneously rule it out of compliance. It has app 188,000 miles. They both run like the proverbial tops.
Lots of diesel VWs and Sprinter motorhomes here in eastern BC.
That could very well be. CA SMOG ONLY stations have a (rifle like) sensor, they put up the tail pipe (gassers), cabled to the computer and software system (in addition to the OBD/11 port). Once all the data is gathered and probably more importantly, the FEES paid, it is sent electronically to the CA DMV.
The visual results of the diesel smoke test are manually entered in the computer.
Slow news diesel day news. Cable financial news "Talking Heads" forecast gas prices could drop .30 cents by XMAS ! ? Naturally in Silicon Valley, it is .17 cents higher than a resort town.
The MB 250 BT hit the dealer for its 10,000 miles service (2,000 miles late). Alignment is spot on. While I am not enamored of run flat tires, this OEM set is showing good wear !! ?? ( 10/32n in NEW, now @ 9.5 1/32nd in ) The tech and service advisor were surprised brake pads and rotors measured almost no wear. What these wear items turn out to be is anyone's guess. But so far I am very happy with the various experiences.
I watched the test - they put nothing in the tail pipe.
$$$'s investments, must be a common complaint in the industry. This owner also was freaked out by the costs of (on going) future upgrades. Even HUGE dealerships (they can do smog equipment repairs) are happy to B/E on the smog certification portion.
I like the "smoker tattle" form Steve mentions - an eco-weenie could report my fintail when it has a puff, but the jokes on them, as it pre-dates emissions equipment, and is exempt
I noticed diesel and RUG are similarly priced here, around $1.30/l.
Ten seconds behind an oil burner in TX would be a lifetime.
On the interstates, anyway they actually ENFORCE keep right EXCEPT to PASS !!!
I saw this (good idea) a lot in suburban/urban area's in Texas but the normal sign markings are sometimes PAINTED on the ground, so you can have a triangulation of information in case you are unclear what lane/s to be in with a 5,6,7,8,9,10+ lane freeway !
Per the owner's manual, the old car can consume a quart per 800 miles and be within spec, which isn't far off from what it does - so if a so-called civil servant tried to call me out on it, I'd have a good rebuttal. There are many old cars where visible smoke is part of the design. I am sure the nicely compensated soul who wrote that piece knew about them, of course. I need to bring in a Trabant...
Aren't keep right laws un-American?
(There's some really nice spots there too - you need to cruise to the Hill Country or down Big Bend way).
This is true even as the world wide (energy) DEMAND has never been greater !! ??? According to the enviro cons, we should have had armageddon many years, if not decades, ... ago !!!! AKA not much talk about ISIS attacking the HAJJ, eh? http://www.religioustolerance.org/isla1.htm
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/facing-oil-glut-saudis-avoid-1980s-mistakes-halt-005348902--finance.html
I don't know why it didn't occur to me to post this sooner, but using th MB 250 B/T as an example, the only DIESEL related addition item that one has to do over say a gasser ( app 10 items) is ADD Ad Blue. The nearest service equivalent is filling the windshield washer fluid tank.
The rest of it is pretty much the same as a gasser ( rotate tires, check brake pads and rotors, top fluids, oil, oil filter, crush washer, cabin, fuel, air filter) to cite some of the "COMMOM" items.
Of course, the final proof will be in 10 years after the first models are out. But I wouldn't bet on the resale price (if any) between a MB diesel and a Tesla at that point.
Even at 12,000 miles (the dipstick indicating FULL) the MB 250 B/T's oil consumption SEEMS to be on the 1/8 to 1/2 qt/L per 30,000 miles, as per the other three diesels. Normally during early break ( zero to 5,000 miles) in the oil consumption tends to be higher, especially in gasser engines. I broke in the engine slightly/ moderately aggressively to aggressively. So I am pleasantly surprised.