Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 09:12:58 -0500 From: "Walt Kienzle" <wkienzlenopsam.net> Subject: Re: GM to increase SAAB lineup
> Why don't they really start looking into fuel alternatives? You hear a > little bit here and there, but I keep wondering....what are they waiting > for? > <And, I don't mean those electric hybrids either> If you take electric out of the equation, I offer two reasons: 1) We still have a lot oil in the US that we haven't used (up) yet - yes, right here in the USA, not Saudi Arabia, so there is no point in putting much money into something more expensive that nobody would be willing to buy when we can get more mileage out of existing technology. 2) The unspoken secret is the apparently cool alternatives, like Hydrogen Fuel Cell, still get the hydrogen from the hydrocarbons of natural gas, so you still aren't using a renewable resource. If they could extract the hydrogen from water, I would go for it right away. Even the other interesting alternatives, like CNG and LPG use renewable resources, but offer advantages in performance/longevity and lower emissions, and these are popular with owners of large fleets that can install their own fueling systems. But public fueling stations are rare and hard to find; home fueling systems are expensive and there aren't too many sources for them either. Fuelmaker.com is working on a lower priced system, but it isn't available yet. Car manufacturers offer a selection of CNG or LPG factory equipped vehicles, but once again, it is too much cost, inconvenience and too little benefit for the average consumer to have an interest. Even using E-85, which is a US designated alternative fuel, isn't worth the bother for many people. Yet every Ford product with the green "FFV" tag (SUV's, trucks, Vans and mid-sized Taurus sedans), every Chrysler with the 3.3L engine (all their mini-vans and most mid-sized sedans), and every GM 2.2L or 5.3L equipped SUV, Van, and Truck can run on E-85, but nobody bothers looking for E-85 pumps which are available in almost as many places as diesel in my area. Most owners don't even know their vehicles are E-85 capable and others don't care because of the reduced fuel economy and poor winter driveability associated with E-85. More information is available at www.ethanol.org. So if the "they" you are talking about are auto manufacturers, they have alternative fueled cars, but nobody cares. If "they" are the public, then you are correct, they should look more into the alternative fuel vehicles that are made available by the manufacturers. I did. I stopped by a Chevrolet dealer and talked with one of the people familiar with their alternate fuel product line. He was the "fleet" salesman and was thrilled that a regular consumer was interested in alternate fuel products. He eagerly spent half the afternoon telling me about all his offerings from Chevrolet and aftermarket from 3rd parties, and offered to take me as a guest to a GM briefing session. His eagerness was because he enjoyed the subject, not because he was eager to sell me a car. Walt Kienzle "Nutmegger" <nutmegger_7717nopsamo.com> wrote in message news:b7gpo2$p73p$1nopsam38055.news.dfncis.de... > > "Walt Kienzle" wrote::: > > > My belief is that all the SUV's are being bought by people that would be > > perfectly happy with a large capacity estate/station-wagon model that > could > > haul many children or pull a trailer, or both, if such a vehicle were > > available at a reasonable cost. > > Yes, it could be. My belief is that many SUV's are being bought by people > who psychology feel bigger is better or safer. I find that odd since so > many reports were issued about the roll over factor. Many childless couples > own them around here. It's just like the "in" thing - although they are now > losing popularity pretty quickly. > > >But US fuel economy standards impose heavy > > fines on car manufacturers that make and sell cars that deliver poor fuel > > economy unless they sell a lot of high fuel economy cars to offset the > > gas-guzzlers. > > Why don't they really start looking into fuel alternatives? You hear a > little bit here and there, but I keep wondering....what are they waiting > for? > <And, I don't mean those electric hybrids either> > > >So they make SUV's that can perform the same function, only > > less efficiently, and they avoid the fines for low fuel economy because > > those standards don't apply to trucks. > > A-h-h, always a way to give the public what it wants no matter what > standards are set. Money. > > >The government classifies SUV's as > > trucks. Chrysler is just now starting to go against that trend by > offering > > the Pacifica. Its not exactly full size like the old days, but it is > > spacious and bigger than a typical sedan. > > Americans are into spaciousness, their homes are getting bigger, their > vehicles are getting bigger, and so are their girths. > > > > Also, not every SUV is designed for rough terrain. Nearly all of the 4 > > wheel drive models are also available as 2 wheel drive. I wouldn't want > to > > go on anything but rough pavement in a Toyota RAV4 or Honda Passport, > > particularly the 2 wheel drive versions. > > When I had my SUV it was one of the things I really enjoyed about it, going > offroad. > >
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