RE[V8] Lower Emissions

[diemarthadie at aol.com]

Obviously, how you use the vehicle is where the difference lies.  In the two fleets at my job there are almost a dozen hybrids, divided pretty equally between Prius and Civic models.  Most of the driving in these is 'around town' and according to both fleet managers they are seeing an average of 50-60mpg in each car.  They both agree that the costs to operate are still high and that the true savings won't be realized unless gas continues to climb, but they also look at it - as I do - as a step in the right direction that needs to be supported.  Fuel Cells, Hybrids, TDI, Hydrogen, Solar, whatever... Innovation that has ANY support stands a chance of propelling more innovation.  I know someone at MIT working on nano-tech that will provide a transistor that is both a solar cell AND an LED and it can be applied as a liquid.  There's always new tech in the works, and by showing that we support it's future, we also convince companies to invest in that future....
 
On an interesting side note, I just got three issues of Audi Magazine (UK) 1989, 1990, 1991 because they had some cool stuff on the V8 and racing... but they also show the Geneva Auto Show Audi Duo 100 Avant Quattro experimental vehicle, which could run on gas or diesel engines for highway trips and had electric motor power for the around town part.  The oil-based motor would drive the front wheels and the electric the back... interesting...
 
European companies are generally focusing on diesel options, while Japanese companies are looking to hybrids.  American companies are just telling Congress to stop mandating better fuel economy... And the oil industry is laughing its ass off.
 
John
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Buchholz, Steven <Steven.Buchholz at kla-tencor.com>
To: V8 List <V8 at audifans.com>
Sent: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 13:25:31 -0800
Subject: RE: RE[V8] Lower Emissions


... clearly someone didn't read the entire letter!

Nobody is saying that working to lower emissions and save fuel is not a noble 
ambition.  The thing is that Toyota hit a gold mine with their marketing efforts 
on their hybrids.  From my point of view it is just another example showing that 
the Japanese auto makers know how to sucker the USA ... government as well as 
consumers ... into things they don't need.  I love those billboards that try to 
make you think that the Prius doesn't consume gasoline!  I also find it amusing 
to see that here in California it is possible to drive your Prius in the HOV 
lane ... I wonder how many of them are running on batteries when they are 
cruising at freeway speeds?  Why shouldn't any vehicle with the same fuel 
economy/emissions ratings be allowed the exemption, hybrid or no?  It seems to 
me that to really make a difference we should force Prius owners to sit in 
traffic so that the engines shut off instead of idling ... :-)

One thing that I find amusing is that there are people who are truly concerned 
with the environment who use a car like the Prius as a starting point ... they 
add batteries and facilities for charging the batteries overnight, and ask 
Toyota why the cars don't come from the factory that way.  It is my 
understanding that Toyota's reply is that the Prius was not intended to be an 
electric vehicle!

Rather than running out and buying a Prius, do a bit of shopping first.  Compare 
the emissions numbers for some other marques ... like VW!  VW and other marques 
have been working on producing vehicles that have lower emissions too!  I might 
argue that the Europeans are even more "green" than we in America are, and they 
are getting their auto suppliers to make real efforts to improve the 
environment.  

In my mind the most unfortunate thing is that the whole idea of "hybrid" cars 
stifles innovation.  It is not unlike when the airbag came out ... all work on 
passive occupant safety methods came to a stand still.  The idea of shutting the 
engine down rather than letting it idle isn't something new with the hybrids ... 
I wonder how much difference there would be between a hybrid model of a car and 
one that had a system to shut the engine down at stops, restarting it when the 
throttle is depressed again?  It might actually be more efficient as you 
wouldn't need the weight of the batteries and the electric drive motor.  

I think the writer of the letter hit the nail on the head ... in the end, market 
forces will bring about change.  We are already seeing alternatives to fossil 
fuels being pulled out of the closet and prepared to compete.  

BTW ... Thanks for posting this note Ingo ... I posted it to my door today ...

Steve B
San José, CA (USA)
> 
> It's not about the money, or the options or the marketing or somebody's
> opinion on how we should be living our lives.
> 
> We'll be choking ourselves soon enough, you can bet on that. And when our
> children start getting sick and dying off, things will change. Unfortunately
> it has to go to that extreme.
> 

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