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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards OR Defying the Laws of Physics
The new gas mileage standards mandated
by the recently passed energy legislation defy the laws of physics...but Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi don't seem to care. ---===0===--- Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards By Jack Ward December 29, 2007 The other day I took my Toyota Sienna van in for a smog check. While I was waiting, I heard the news that our Congress Critters were about to pass new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards. The new fuel efficiency law will require manufacturers to meet a fleet wide average of 35 miles per gallon for cars, SUV's, and small trucks. A fleet average of 35 mpg is a 40% increase in fuel mileage over the existing requirement. My van gets an average of 20+ mpg and can carry 6 passengers and luggage in comfort. My wife drives a Honda Civic which gets 30+ mpg. But neither of our vehicles would meet the new congressional requirements. It is obvious that the CAFÉ standards would effectively outlaw most current cars, vans, trucks, and SUVs. So I began to wonder what vehicle would get an average of 35 mpg. Since I was at a Toyota dealership and Toyota has been a leader in fuel efficient vehicles, I started checking out the vehicles on the lot. The standard cars and small trucks failed immediately. Then I spotted the smallest car on the lot, a sub-compact Yaris. But even the sub-compact Yaris failed the Congress Critters new efficiency requirements. The Yaris had a maximum 36 mpg on the highway, but its combined city and highway average was below the required 35 mpg. The Toyota Camry Hybrid also failed the new CAFÉ standards. The only car that met the new CAFÉ standards was the Prius Hybrid. The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is based on total energy of the fuel and the amount of energy used to perform useful work. So by legislating a fuel efficiency increase of about 40%, our Congress Critters were attempting to rewrite Laws of Thermodynamics. Congressional leaders were warned that the mandated changes may not be technologically or economically possible. But the enlightened Democrat leaders disagreed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-Ca.), was heavily involved in crafting the legislation and declared that "It's groundbreaking in what it will do." She is right. I wonder if she also plans to rewrite the Law of Gravity. In a previous column I addressed the prototypical micro-car envisioned by the Congress Critters - the Smart Car 'ForTwo'. The Smart Car 'ForTwo' is about 4 feet shorter and 1,000 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper, so it isn't suitable for soccer moms. Throughout the 1950's and 60's manufacturers offered micro-cars but the public wasn't interested. But our Congress Critters know best and will now require you to drive one. Researchers at Harvard University and the Brookings Institution found that these micro-cars are not as safe as the current U.S. fleet. Their research found that for every 100 pounds shaved off cars to meet CAFÉ standards between 440 and 780 additional people were killed in auto accidents. This means that an additional total of 2,200 to 3,900 lives will be lost per model year. Adrian Lund, of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said, "Fatalities are much higher with small, lightweight vehicles." Politicians are force-feeding the micro-cars on the American public even if that means these vehicles will be less safe. But what kind of cars do our Congress Critters have? Spies in Washington DC tell us the congressional parking lot is filled with large sedans, SUV's, and trucks. While there are a few economy cars in the lot, the estimated mileage for the cars in the lot is less than 20 mpg. But don't expect to see Ted Kennedy in a Smart Car because we know that politicians reek with hypocrisy. They exempt themselves from the very laws they expect us to follow. So, rest assured that the Congress Critters will not be driving the micro-cars that they will require you to drive. This is supposed to be the 'Land of the Free' so why should Americans be denied the opportunity to choose the vehicle that meets their needs? The New Media Journal.us (c) 2007 |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards, leotard78spwhines again..
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards, leotard78sp whines again..
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards OR Defying the Laws of Physics
> wrote > "The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is > based on total energy of the fuel and the amount of > energy used to perform useful work. So by > legislating a fuel efficiency increase of about 40%, > our Congress Critters were attempting to rewrite Laws > of Thermodynamics." Over 30 teams from the U.S., Canada, India and Bahrain participated in the SAE's annual mileage competition June 7-8, 2007 in Marshall, Michigan. The competition requires the development and construction of a single person, fuel efficient vehicle. All vehicles must be powered by a small four-cycle engine, have a minimum of three wheels, and the driver must be fully enclosed to prevent contact with the ground. The winner is based on a combination of best fuel economy and points from technical inspections of the vehicles. The 2006 winner, the University of British Columbia, achieved a record 3,145 miles per gallon! http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/mostEfficient.shtml |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards OR Defying the Laws of Physics
In article >, V-for-Vendicar wrote:
> > wrote >> "The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is >> based on total energy of the fuel and the amount of >> energy used to perform useful work. So by >> legislating a fuel efficiency increase of about 40%, >> our Congress Critters were attempting to rewrite Laws >> of Thermodynamics." > > Over 30 teams from the U.S., Canada, India and Bahrain participated in the > SAE's annual mileage competition June 7-8, 2007 in Marshall, Michigan. The > competition requires the development and construction of a single person, > fuel efficient vehicle. All vehicles must be powered by a small four-cycle > engine, have a minimum of three wheels, and the driver must be fully > enclosed to prevent contact with the ground. The winner is based on a > combination of best fuel economy and points from technical inspections of > the vehicles. The 2006 winner, the University of British Columbia, achieved > a record 3,145 miles per gallon! These vehicles are completely irrelevant to anything useful for transportation on public roads. They are as I recall a recombent bicycle with an ICE that runs at full throttle and then coasts, rinse and repeat. |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards OR Defying the Laws of Physics
"Brent P" > wrote in message ... > In article >, V-for-Vendicar > wrote: >> > wrote >>> "The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is >>> based on total energy of the fuel and the amount of >>> energy used to perform useful work. So by >>> legislating a fuel efficiency increase of about 40%, >>> our Congress Critters were attempting to rewrite Laws >>> of Thermodynamics." >> >> Over 30 teams from the U.S., Canada, India and Bahrain participated in >> the >> SAE's annual mileage competition June 7-8, 2007 in Marshall, Michigan. >> The >> competition requires the development and construction of a single person, >> fuel efficient vehicle. All vehicles must be powered by a small >> four-cycle >> engine, have a minimum of three wheels, and the driver must be fully >> enclosed to prevent contact with the ground. The winner is based on a >> combination of best fuel economy and points from technical inspections of >> the vehicles. The 2006 winner, the University of British Columbia, >> achieved >> a record 3,145 miles per gallon! > > These vehicles are completely irrelevant to anything useful for > transportation on public roads. The point is made: 40% increase in fuel efficiency standards isn't even coming close to maximum theoretical efficiency. It's a pitiful increase, which has already been achieved in production vehicles today (they'll just have to stop making the inefficient vehicles - problem solved). > They are as I recall a recombent bicycle with an ICE that runs at full > throttle and then coasts, rinse and repeat. Well, they sure as hell aren't Hummer H2's, that's for sure. So sorry if that ****es off the irresponsible and the stupid; but automobiles are gonna change - finally - to MUCH more fuel-efficient designs. By orders of magnitude. When gasoline hits $10/gallon, the market for SUV's will approach zero, while buyers for the 300MPG hybrids (ready for production right now) will be on a 2-year waiting list. |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards, leotard78spwhines again..
Kurt Lochner wrote: > AKA sniveled ineptly: > > > > So I began to wonder what vehicle would get an > > average of 35 mpg. Since I was at a Toyota dealership > > and Toyota has been a leader in fuel efficient vehicles, > > I started checking out the vehicles on the lot. I'll make a very simple statement: The Toyota Yaris D-4D is a staggeringly good little car.... I have never driven another car that could happily tootle along at 80–90mph, nip past obstructive drivers in old-shape Merc CL500 coupes, and still take me 63 miles on a gallon of diesel. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/?id=52 OK that's a UK gallon but it's still 50.4 US mpg ! Diesel engines are a large part of the answer. The USA has an irrational fear of them though. Modern European diesel engine design is making even SPORTY diesels possible. They have exceptional torque which most drivers like too. Graham |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards, leotard78spwhines again..
Kurt Lochner wrote: > AKA sniveled ineptly: > > > >The new gas mileage standards mandated > >by the recently passed energy legislation > >defy the laws of physics.. > > leotard, you don't know any physics to speak of.. The laws of physics certainly do tend to say that expecting a 7 litre V-8 (or even say a more humble 4 litre) to do 35 mpg is wishful thinking ! But who actually NEEDS one ? Graham |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards OR Defying theLaws of Physics
V-for-Vendicar wrote: > > wrote > > "The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is > > based on total energy of the fuel and the amount of > > energy used to perform useful work. So by > > legislating a fuel efficiency increase of about 40%, > > our Congress Critters were attempting to rewrite Laws > > of Thermodynamics." > > Over 30 teams from the U.S., Canada, India and Bahrain participated in the > SAE's annual mileage competition June 7-8, 2007 in Marshall, Michigan. The > competition requires the development and construction of a single person, > fuel efficient vehicle. All vehicles must be powered by a small four-cycle > engine, have a minimum of three wheels, and the driver must be fully > enclosed to prevent contact with the ground. But these are CLOWN cars. You're sending out entirely the wrong idea if you think that's the only future. Graham |
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Coping With The New CAFÉ Standards OR Defying the Laws of Physics
On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:02:11 -0800, "V-for-Vendicar"
> wrote: > > wrote >> "The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is >> based on total energy of the fuel and the amount of >> energy used to perform useful work. So by >> legislating a fuel efficiency increase of about 40%, >> our Congress Critters were attempting to rewrite Laws >> of Thermodynamics." > >Over 30 teams from the U.S., Canada, India and Bahrain participated in the >SAE's annual mileage competition June 7-8, 2007 in Marshall, Michigan. The >competition requires the development and construction of a single person, >fuel efficient vehicle. All vehicles must be powered by a small four-cycle >engine, have a minimum of three wheels, and the driver must be fully >enclosed to prevent contact with the ground. The winner is based on a >combination of best fuel economy and points from technical inspections of >the vehicles. The 2006 winner, the University of British Columbia, achieved >a record 3,145 miles per gallon! > >http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/mostEfficient.shtml Way to go UBC!! Were number one were number one11111111111111111 Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooo!! > |
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