Recent Comments:
Is sugarcane ethanol still a good alternative? {Autoblog Green}
Jul 22nd 2008 3:06PM All the ethanol bashing is sponsored by Middle-Eastern oil industry.
www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/in-defense-of-biofuels
I'm sorry for the hungry Somalians or Darfour residents - but ethanol has nothing to do with the fact that at least 2/3 of humanitarian aid is looted.
Of course the corn ethanol isn't the perfect solution and few will disagree. But this is an important interim step.
Until a better solution is found -any alternative to oil is good.
GM hopes to make more money on smaller cars {Autoblog Green}
Jul 22nd 2008 2:52AM GM has no reason not to produce efficient small cars. This one was of a great success at its time :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Chevette
Auto Nation CEO says gas prices will benefit Detroit {Autoblog Green}
Jun 12th 2008 4:23PM An answer to No. 8
"Oh yeah, and creating the more huger Pilot, MDX, Tundra, Land Cruiser, Highlander, etc., etc. "
No one claims that Toyota are angels. They build gas hogs too. But the contribution of Prius to reducing tailpipe emissions is large. And Toyota didn't crush their RAV4 EV's ...
"GM has been developing two mode hybrids, series hybrids and a 40mpg car getting ready to be built in Ohio."
And how many have been sold in the last decade ? 40 MPG is quite a good mileage. But Prius gets 48 MPG and its next version will probably get better.
" I see, the Japanese had gas prices double ours so they worked on that technology because that is the situation where they live and they are geniuses for it."
Prices of oil products got 2 times more expensive in the last couple of years. And the Big 3 are desperate. But who killed the electric car ?
"LMAO. How many cars have the two companies actually delivered to customers? As much as the press says GM hasn't sold many hybrids, it's still thousands more than these two companies put together."
Of course Fisker and Tesla wouldn't displace a need for oil. But they are strategically important, showing the OPEC mafia that their festival woll not last forever.
"I didn't think the *hybrid* camry was *assembled* here but you could be right since you love Japanese products so much you should know more than me. But, GM's hybrid system is from Baltimore, MD. All Toyota hybrid systems are from Japan. So ironic that you would pick the Camry hybrid to try to show the Americaness of Toyota. BTW, the 1.0 L engine going in the Volt will be built in Flint, MI. I don't know who makes such a small engine in America but GM is going to do it for the Volt. Such unAmerican of GM."
Well, If one buys a "pure" American car that gets 20 MPG , he will spend 24,000$ on oil products for 120,000 miles ( 4$ per gallon , 6,000 gallons of gas ).
If the same guy bought a "pure" foreign car for the same sum that gets 30 MPG - he would spent 4,000 gallons for the same mileage - 8,000$ less !
Since the point of "foreign" vs. "domestic" was covered well by yourself showing relations Ford-Mexico and Chrysler-China - in the case of oil - the most part of the extra 8K USD will get it way to enemies of America, not to mention the extra pollution and taxpayers' money.
When you buy an American-built Camry Hybrid - you actually buy high-skilled work, years of R&D and reduce tailpipe emissions.
But when you buy a gas hog, even built in America - you encourage hate (Ahmadinejadd), populism (Chavez) and political opression (Putin & co.)
"GM forced Toyota and Honda to stop making electric vehicles but when they told them to stop making family sedans they must not have listened. Gee, interesting how conspiracies work."
Again, nor Toyota neither Honda are the righteous - but at least they kept building hybrids. GM promoted trucks and SUV's. And Toyota didn't crush RAV4 EV's...
"Seeing how the Prius has been out for 10 years and it is not assembled in the U.S. yet and even if it was it would be assembled here and the parts (the main hybrids parts and most other parts) would be made in Japan. Your desire for a true made in America electric vehicle (you know, mostly U.S. parts assembled here) isn't going to happen unless GM does it. No, GM specifically because Ford loves Mexico and Chrysler is bedding with Chinese Chery. So good luck on that one!"
See my remark above. But I do admire Ford for their Escape hybrids. And more important is the point , that there is no shame to send money abroad to acquire knowledge, state-of-art technology and education. There is a shame ( if not a crime ) to send hard-currency to enemy countries for raw materials.
"Most of you guys are dumber than a bag of nails. Seriously. Clueless."
Thanks for raising the discussion level. Since You love GM and Saudi sheikhs love GM too, although for other reasons - let me quote a moslem wisdom :
If one calls another "infidel" - at least one of them is infidel. I think the expression may be applied to "dumb" too.
Concerned about CO2? In the UK, just buy a diesel {Autoblog Green}
Jun 12th 2008 12:53PM 1st of all - I'm quite doubtful about the data of 33MPG for a Prius. My neghbour has Prius and gets 1L to 18km (her dealer promised 1:22) - about 42 US MPG. And unlike other cars Prius gets its best economy in the city driving. About 2/3 of her mileage is highway - so the economy could be even better.
But there are more topics to discuss :
1. Diesels do pollute less CO2. But they do pollute NOX, PM ,CO etc. Those hazardous pollutants cause asthma and other respiratory diseases.
2. There is no contradiction between diesel and hybrid technologies. Check on this site about VW Golf.
3. From 1 barrel of crude oil we get about 19 gallons of gasoline, but only 7-9 gallons of diesel fuel. So if a nation relies on diesels - it will be required to import more and more crude oil.
European truckers on strike because of high fuel prices {Autoblog Green}
Jun 11th 2008 7:44AM I understand some emotions expressed here, but it will be worthwile to know what the strikers suggest. What is their ( or at least their leaders ) plan to reduce expences on fuels? What should the govt. do ?
At Witz' End - Lies and Deceptions {Autoblog Green}
Jun 11th 2008 6:36AM Here is my point :
If one buys a "pure" American car that gets 20 MPG , he will spend 24,000$ on oil products for 120,000 miles ( 4$ per gallon , 6,000 gallons of gas ).
If the same guy bought a "pure" foreign car for the same sum that gets 30 MPG - he would spent 4,000 gallons for the same mileage - 8,000$ less !
Since the point of "foreign" vs. "domestic" was covered well in previous comments - in the case of oil - the most part of the extra 8K USD will get it way to enemies of America, not to mention the extra pollution and taxpayers' money.
When you buy an American-built Camry Hybrid - you actually buy high-skilled work, years of R&D and reduce tailpipe emissions.
But when you buy a gas hog, even built in America - you encourage hate (Ahmadinejadd), populism (Chavez) and political opression (Putin & co.)
Does diesel have a future? {Autoblog Green}
May 15th 2008 6:05PM First of all, since buses and trucks use diesel fuel - diesel has a future, at least for as long as petrol has one. But diesel means biodiesel too. To my best knowledge - most of diesel cars can run on B20.
And here is the possible answer to Dave (16) - since Germany produces a lot of Biodiesel and so does France - those countries rely on diesel more without the need to import more oil.
A little remark to LS2/LS7 (15 ) : In my country today there are 2 types of diesel fuel available: regular and Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD).
Both are more expensive than petrol, but there are discounts for the first one which fit older cars (pre-2004) and also machinery and home heating . But there are NO discounts for ULSD and it comes that only those who run 50,000 km a year or more gain from using ULSD (like Taxi drivers).
Derek (12) - it would be nice to get info about the minimum/maximum share of diesel fuel in a barrel of crude oil.
A last topic to discuss ( after reading the Steven's comment (12)) - if a certain country adopts a policy of promoting diesel vehicles - there is a need to import much more crude oil & build new refineries - and that means - increasing pollution. So a clever govt. may promote diesels to some extent - but only unless it doesn't raise the need to import more crude.
Natural gas-fueled cars proving popular in Utah {Autoblog Green}
May 4th 2008 3:07AM I would like to raise 2 topics:
1. Rgseidl - your point d) means that customers like taxi drivers return that premium in 1 year or even less - quite a good deal.
2. Omaha 42000 - You are completely right. But if we treat the natural gas a a temporary solution - there is no risk to import it. The problem is that nobody inside the govt. makes conclusions from the 1973, 1980 and recent oil prices.
It's all about location: Saturn Astra fuel economy impressions vary {Autoblog Green}
Apr 14th 2008 7:28AM I've Opel Astra 1.4L 1995 and it gets 1L to 13 km, about 31MPG (US).
Chevy Matiz 0.8S features reduced emissions {Autoblog Green}
Apr 10th 2008 1:15AM A very nice car and maybe it fits perfectly British towns. However I'm doubtful, if the car can be used at places ( like Greece ) where A/C is needed or there is a mountain terrain.
