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Post subject: Some comments on current rhetoric on fuel consumption.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:48 pm
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1) Concerning the push in some localities to change the maximum speed limit to 55 miles per hour: My current car, and the one before it, both got better gas mileage at 65mph than at 55mph. I put a lot of miles on my cars and I measure these things empirically. I've had similar results with cars I've rented within the past ten years.

2) Concerning inflating tires to proper pressure. This may have been an issue 30 years ago, but modern tires are much better now and seldom lose air unless they are punctured.


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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:37 pm
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Agreed. Another:

I hate ethanol. It's clearly not the alternative that we need to replace gas. When producing it, it actually takes MORE THAN one gallon of gas to make. So it's inefficient and in no way helping the situation. Also, farmers are growing more corn to sell to ethanol companies and that in turn raises prices on every other produce item. It's a big circle that leads to everyone paying more.

Just my opinion, but it seems stupid.


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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:12 pm
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Here's something that gets me:

I don't know how much energy it takes to make a new car, but it has to be way more than you will ever save in fuel by switching to a hybrid. That would mean that the most eco-friendly thing to do would be to keep driving the car you have until it falls apart, not ditch it for a Prius. Right? :wink:

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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:16 pm
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bluesgrass wrote:
Here's something that gets me:

I don't know how much energy it takes to make a new car, but it has to be way more than you will ever save in fuel by switching to a hybrid. That would mean that the most eco-friendly thing to do would be to keep driving the car you have until it falls apart, not ditch it for a Prius. Right? :wink:


Yup. That's about right. The powers that be will never tell you that though. Thanks for that by the way. It's another good excuse for me to keep my Suburban!

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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:34 pm
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I love my Nissan Titan Truck and I'm keeping it!

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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:42 pm
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This is the one I hate which we have where I live and gas mileage drops about 5% to 8% every time of the year we start using it.
An important program for reducing ambient CO concentrations is the use of cleaner burning oxygenated gasoline. Extra oxygen enhances fuel combustion and helps to offset fuel-rich operating conditions, particularly during vehicle starting in cold weather.(1) Section 211(m) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) requires that gasoline containing at least 2.7 percent oxygen by weight is to be used in the wintertime in those areas of the county that exceed the CO NAAQS. The winter oxygenated gasoline program applies to all gasoline sold in the larger of the Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in which the nonattainment area is located.(2)
Gas mileage goes down on all my vehicles because of this and they aknowledge this happens but its cleaner burning but what about the fact your burning more of it because you loose the miles per gallon. Plus it cost about 15 cents more a gallon alone. Civic goes from 36 to 34 Accord 28 to 25 truck 13 to 11 real good gas let me tell you its a joke. I always keep eye on mile per gallon the truck and one car the computer tell you what you are getting the other you do at fill up.

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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:28 pm
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This autumn marks the 35th anniversary of the first oil embargo. I remember sitting in line for an hour just for the privilege of filling my tank. On one fill-up, I went over what I said I was going to pump by $.01. The guy demanded his penny.

Why didn't we do something back then? We probably wouldn't be in this situation now.

I realize my missive doesn't contribute new, constructive ideas, but thank you for the chance to vent.


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Post subject: Re: Some comments on current rhetoric on fuel consumption.
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:08 am
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RudyH wrote:
1) Concerning the push in some localities to change the maximum speed limit to 55 miles per hour: My current car, and the one before it, both got better gas mileage at 65mph than at 55mph. I put a lot of miles on my cars and I measure these things empirically. I've had similar results with cars I've rented within the past ten years.

2) Concerning inflating tires to proper pressure. This may have been an issue 30 years ago, but modern tires are much better now and seldom lose air unless they are punctured.


I agree with your 1st point. On # 2, it's still an issue with temp going cooler or warmer, since better tires or not, air would still expand depending on temp so yes, you still nd to ck on your air pressure at least once every 2 weeks. Wear and tear on your wheels also make a difference. I had a wheel that was bent, I kept putting air in the tire, kept going to the shop to ck the tire for leaks. My friend owned the shop ck the wheel, then he told me the wheel is slightly bent, that's why I was losing air. Got the wheel replaced by TSW, voila, no loss air.

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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:17 am
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Alternative renewable sources is key. Hydrogen seems like a good alternative but we need to come up with something more economical. Cold fusion research needs to be funded as other viable sources. Anti-matter (no I am not just a Sci-Fi fan, anti-matter actually exits) research also needs to move forward but those technologies are decades away from being used for the masses.

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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:22 am
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bmcmillin wrote:
Alternative renewable sources is key. Hydrogen seems like a good alternative but we need to come up with something more economical. Cold fusion research needs to be funded as other viable sources. Anti-matter (no I am not just a Sci-Fi fan, anti-matter actually exits) research also needs to move forward but those technologies are decades away from being used for the masses.


Yeah, the sad part is, the writing was on the wall 35 years a go, but our domestic car manufacturer wanted trucks/suv as priority to produce, while the imports (European/Asian) focused on both, economy, and big performance, luxury. Only recently has GM shows a little comeback, but it's a little too late with fuel the way it is, and the PERCEPTION of domestic vehicles being unreliable. [/u][/i]

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Post subject: Re: Some comments on current rhetoric on fuel consumption.
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 7:26 am
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RudyH wrote:
1) Concerning the push in some localities to change the maximum speed limit to 55 miles per hour: My current car, and the one before it, both got better gas mileage at 65mph than at 55mph. I put a lot of miles on my cars and I measure these things empirically. I've had similar results with cars I've rented within the past ten years.

2) Concerning inflating tires to proper pressure. This may have been an issue 30 years ago, but modern tires are much better now and seldom lose air unless they are punctured.


My truck gets better gas mileage at 45 than it does at 55 or 65. (It's geared for towing) That doesn't mean that the rest of the country should drive 45. It doesn't even mean that I am going to drive 45. I've accepted and am willing to pay extra to get where I'm going faster.

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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:06 am
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I don't like ethanol as a fuel either, but I do like the fact that we are finally, after over a third of a century since the 1970s energy crisis, doing something to develop alternatives. I see it as progress.

By the way, I live in a farming state and the university has done a lot of research into the economics of ethanol production and distribution. In case you've ever wondered, it actually does take more than a gallon of fuel to produce a gallon of ethanol. Ethanol production is historically profitable about 9 out of every 11 years, and it is made profitable by the sale of by-products, mostly as animal feed. Without the sale of the by-products it would be a losing proposition. The latest point of distress in ethanol production is the huge impact it has on ground water. It's a real environmental concern. But, as I said, a lot of good people are working on a better alternative.


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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:13 am
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bluesgrass wrote:
Here's something that gets me:

I don't know how much energy it takes to make a new car, but it has to be way more than you will ever save in fuel by switching to a hybrid. That would mean that the most eco-friendly thing to do would be to keep driving the car you have until it falls apart, not ditch it for a Prius. Right? :wink:


Not to mention the fact that in a few years when you have to replace the electric motors and/or the batteries on your hybrid car, you're going to spend upwards of $7000. Are you going to save that much money in gas over those 5 years? Probably not.

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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:29 am
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I'm pretty glad my car gets good gas mileage. My last one was a beater who was probably respnsible for at least 25% or global warming! :P Just kidding of course.

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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:32 am
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RudyH wrote:
The latest point of distress in ethanol production is the huge impact it has on ground water. It's a real environmental concern. But, as I said, a lot of good people are working on a better alternative.

Also, with all the recent talk of a looming food shortage (with recent population booms in developing countries), you would think that it would be a bad idea to start using crop land to create fuel...

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