Average Minimum MPG of 54.5 by 2025

[otokage007]

...I wish we'd just get rid of gas all together.

Viva Hydrogen!

:yes:

I wonder, why do governments autorize the selling of cars that acquire 300km/h when the maximum is like 120?

 

[esmith]

I am a advocate of natural gas for long haul trucks. A very good article can be found here:
As Fuel Prices Soar, Trucking Industry Seeks Alternatives With Natural Gas - Forbes

6 Stocks to Benefit From Truckers' Switch to Natural Gas - Forbes

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I am a advocate of natural gas for long haul trucks. A very good article can be found here:
As Fuel Prices Soar, Trucking Industry Seeks Alternatives With Natural Gas - Forbes

6 Stocks to Benefit From Truckers' Switch to Natural Gas - Forbes

Perhaps as a short term alternative, but that too will eventually reach crippling prices as demands go up, and that too will face the dilemma of inevitably being exhausted. Really it's not only a better option, it is more responsible to push research of sustainable and renewable energy sources now, rather than leaving it up to a future generation that will eventually be plagued with high fuel costs and an imminent threat of running out of energy sources.

 

[Revoltingest]

I am a advocate of natural gas for long haul trucks. A very good article can be found here:
As Fuel Prices Soar, Trucking Industry Seeks Alternatives With Natural Gas - Forbes
6 Stocks to Benefit From Truckers' Switch to Natural Gas - Forbes

Of course, any price advantage from natural gas will disappear if it becomes popular.
Fuels costs are typically a function of btu content, which is why diesel costs more than gasoline per gallon.
If there are fairly equal markets for different fuels, competition will tend to equalize price per btu.

My apologies to metric system fans...."btu" is just the unit I'm used to.

 

[esmith]

Perhaps as a short term alternative, but that too will eventually reach crippling prices as demands go up, and that too will face the dilemma of inevitably being exhausted. Really it's not only a better option, it is more responsible to push research of sustainable and renewable energy sources now, rather than leaving it up to a future generation that will eventually be plagued with high fuel costs and an imminent threat of running out of energy sources.

T. Boone Pickens's plan for natural gas powered trucks was based on replacing gas fired electric plants with wind energy which would release natural gas for truck fuel. However, he has had second thoughts on this (he lost his *** in wind energy). You can read his comments here:
T. Boone Pickens: Natural-gas vehicles don't need D.C. - POLITICO.com

As far as the supply of natural gas a good article to read is
How Much Natural Gas Does the U.S. Have | True Blue Natural Gas - An Energy Blog from the American Gas Association AGA

Yes the price of natural gas will increase with demand; however, it will still remain far less expensive than diesel. Natural gas does not need the refining that oil does, therefore less expensive.

 

[Panda]

But natural gas still has the problem of emissions like conventional fuel.

 

[esmith]

But natural gas still has the problem of emissions like conventional fuel.

So what are you going to use for fuel in a long haul truck? Battery powered motors are not going to work. Even if they did where does the majority of electric power come from?

 

[Revoltingest]

So what are you going to use for fuel in a long haul truck? Battery powered motors are not going to work. Even if they did where does the majority of electric power come from?

Coal (in the US).

 

[esmith]

Coal (in the US).

Correct, yet there are those that say electric power for vehicles is cleaner. Except you have burn fossil fuel in the majority of power plants to generate the electricity. Now the question is: does charging you electric car battery from a fossil fuel power plant emit as many pollutants as burning fossil fuel in you car? I don't know the answer, does anyone else?

 

[Panda]

So what are you going to use for fuel in a long haul truck? Battery powered motors are not going to work. Even if they did where does the majority of electric power come from?

Sorry I thought you were suggesting using natural gas instead of using more fuel efficient engines. I'm not saying we currently have a solution though there are some quite clever uses of fuel cells going on out there but they are still a bit of a way away.

Coal (in the US).

Yup but that is a different matter really.

 

[Revoltingest]

Correct, yet there are those that say electric power for vehicles is cleaner. Except you have burn fossil fuel in the majority of power plants to generate the electricity. Now the question is: does charging you electric car battery from a fossil fuel power plant emit as many pollutants as burning fossil fuel in you car? I don't know the answer, does anyone else?

I recall that there are advantages to burning coal because of more efficient smokestack pollution controls, & greater overall thermodynamic
efficiency at putting fossil energy all the way to where the rubber meets the road. But this is highly subject to change as cars get cleaner

 

[esmith]

Sorry I thought you were suggesting using natural gas instead of using more fuel efficient engines. I'm not saying we currently have a solution though there are some quite clever uses of fuel cells going on out there but they are still a bit of a way away.

yes, I am suggesting using natural gas to power the long haul trucks, buses, and all medium duty trucks. but a post by Panda pointed out that natural gas still has problems of emissions. The fuel efficiency of diesel engines has been improving. I heard that there was a VW diesel engine that got around 75mpg but wasn't allowed into the US because it violated EPA standards. I understand that diesel engines are considerably more fuel efficient than gasoline engines. The majority of European vehicles use the diesel. The problem is that the American consumer doesn't like diesel fuel. Another issue is the cost of diesel, which is a government problem not the producer. Diesel fuel is cheaper to produce but is taxed higher than gasoline because fuel is taxed on the BTU's of the fuel. Now as far as natural gas for vehicle fuel in the average car, I do not think it would be a viable solution due to the tank requirements. But in larger vehicles the tank issue wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Panda]

I recall that there are advantages to burning coal because of more efficient smokestack pollution controls, & greater overall thermodynamic
efficiency at putting fossil energy all the way to where the rubber meets the road. But this is highly subject to change as cars get cleaner

You are correct. Power stations, even coal, are cleaner than a car or lorry. I think they may also be more efficient as well.

 

[Dirty Penguin]

I need to get my Chevy Volt. While I say this...there's even issues with electricity.....but I'm sorry...the distance I travel to work and errands it's a perfect car for me and I wouldn't even need to use gas. I would opt for a Nissan Leaf but I find the body style to be an ugly concept. The technology is perfect but the body...ewww!

 

[Revoltingest]

You are correct.

Ahhhhhh......I love to revisit this statement, & bask in its warm glow!