GAS STRIKE

[Guest bastaad525]

I'm somewhat unaffected as my Z is not daily driven; I drive a vegetable oil powered diesel Benz to work' date=' so my fuel is close to free.

 

And I agree with John, that "boycott" of one day obviously will do nothing. If you don't reduce demand, you will not reduce the price of fuel.[/quote']

 

 

 

How do I get me one of these??? are you serious??? runnign on vegetable oil?????? this could be the wave of the future

[Pop N Wood]

From what I have read, the Pirus is really no different than the Honda. Neither car can be run on the electric motor alone. They both use the gas motor to drive the vehicle and the electric for regenerative braking and to supplement the gas motor.

 

The idea of a "series hybrid" sounds more like what they should be building. But I am not aware of any cars actually doing that.

 

But I did just notice the Ford Escape will offer the same gas engine in a vehicle without the electric. I guess they do change the valve timing in the electric hybrid version, but it will answer my question about what type of mileage the car without the electronics will get. And unlike the Toyota or the Honda, it can run on the electric motor alone.

 

IMO, the current round of Hybrids are a gimick to satisfy the environmentalist. They are not really needed if all we wanted to do is save gas. Honda use to make a CRX that got 54 mpg.

 

As far as fuel cells and dependence on forgien oil, I really don't think they will do much to help the problem. You still need an energy source to run the power plants. Coal comes with it's own issues, not the least of which is cost. Nuclear in the US is dead. I also don't think most people realize how much of our electricity comes from crude oil and natural gas. And there are quite a few people who feel that powering cars off the electric grid only shifts the problem some where else so that idea gets no support from the Seirra clubs of the world.

 

Gasoline cars will be around for the next 100 years. But I believe the days of the average American teenager getting his first beater at 16 may be numbered. My kids almost certainly will, but I don't know about my great grandkids.

[Moridin]

You need lye' date=' diesel, vegetable oil, and methanol IIRC. All of these products are TOTALLY legal for purchase and ownership individually. Not an expert, but my best friend was going to make it in his garage, instead he just started running on straight vegetable oil.

 

Here's something of interest : http://www.veggievan.org/veggiecar/index.php

 

If you want a front driver with 295 lb/ft of torque go for it. I'd rather have my rwd with the same.

 

Again, I have nothing against the hybrids. I just don't want to buy one. I want to buy one when I feel that it is the car I want, not the car the govt wants me to have. I always said that I wouldn't buy another American car until they got better. I just bought a GMC truck. Same goes for the alternative fuel or hybrid cars. Not interested until they come up with something that suits me. When they do I'll probably go buy one. Until then, I don't think that punitive taxes should be used to coerce me into it.[/quote']

 

I wasn't trying to say that it's the car for you, but merely trying to point out that hybrid cars have potential for some major power. Dodge is supposed to come out with a heavy duty truck with a hybrid diesel drivetrain. May be interesting.

 

I need to find where I heard what deadly chemical was used to make the bio diesel.

[Pop N Wood]

Again' date=' I have nothing against the hybrids. I just don't want to buy one. I want to buy one when I feel that it is the car I want, not the car the govt wants me to have. [/quote']

 

Interestingly, the California Air Resource Board was against the current round of hybrids. They want a zero emissions vehicle. I think they are afraid hybrids might prove too practical thus reducing the possiblility of a zero emissions car.

[JMortensen]

I'm gonna stop, but I just had to say this:

 

I wasn't trying to say that it's the car for you, but merely trying to point out that hybrid cars have potential for some major power. Dodge is supposed to come out with a heavy duty truck with a hybrid diesel drivetrain. May be interesting.

 

But MrWOT (maybe that should be MrWOW for wide open wallet) and a lot of others are in favor of the govt penalizing everyone who doesn't drive a hybrid or electric car through gas taxes. That's where the high gas prices, and the push to intentionally drive them higher, come from IMO.

 

I need to find where I heard what deadly chemical was used to make the bio diesel.

 

Show me a chemical and I'll tell you how to kill someone with it. They're ALL deadly.

 

I'm sure the deadly chemical you read about was methanol, but I'm sure there are thousands of go kart enthusiasts, drag racers, and model plane builders across the country who would take issue with that. The real issue with biodiesel IMO is they can only tax about 25% of your fuel; the diesel. The rest might get sales tax, but that isn't applied to road construction projects. Taxes for road construction rather than just for punishment are more appealing to me, but still there is the horrific misuse of funds there to fix (15 Caltrans workers filling a pothole again).

 

Interestingly, the California Air Resource Board was against the current round of hybrids. They want a zero emissions vehicle. I think they are afraid hybrids might prove too practical thus reducing the possiblility of a zero emissions car.

 

CARB is just concerned with air pollution, and hybrids still contribute, so I guess I can understand that. This thread had to do with gas prices originally, and I think CARB would like nothing more than to force people to drive less by increasing taxes. That would be a HUGE "win" for them.