Re: Reserve fuel?

[dmiller@iea.com (Doug Miller)]

>In a message dated 97-02-15 16:52:55 EST, dmiller@iea.com (Doug Miller)
>writes:
>
><< Having been on the manufacturing side for many years in the automobile
> industry, I can state catagorically that NO manufacturer would place any
> type of reserve fuel reservoir in a vehicle that was not a true fuel tank.
>
ScharfR sed:

>Strange though it may seem, in Germany it is quite common for motorists to
>carry a spare can of gas in the trunk - not rattling around loose, mind you.
> It is often packaged in a specially shaped container to fit in the center of
>the spare wheel, or in a fitted tray or compartment.  Nobody gives it a
>second thought.

That is interesting.  In a country so focused on safe motoring, I'm
surprised to hear that.  Perhaps due to the extreme variances in speed
possible there while traveling, drivers have a harder time tracking their
vehicle's range.  A car normally providing a 350 mile range in a typical
driving mix might only be able to manage 270 miles at high speeds.  As a
result, perhaps running out of gas would be more common than in the US
where our speeds are limited to a narrower range?

Still, that is a very dangerous thing to do, even if packaged nicely in a
protective spare tire.

Doug