VW Passat 78.5 MPG in UK

[xrac]

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[Joe Marconi]

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[ATLAuto]

I currently drive a 50mpg TDI, which I do love and will keep for a few hundred more thousand.

 

This video is slighty conspiracy-theory, slightly true. I worked for the Ford diesel design team for a few months back in 2005, when they were trying to put a diesel in the F150. That would have been sweet. Anyway, a few things I remember from the program that were actually facts:

 

1. Americans have historically demanded big cars. Ford and GM's marketing teams have well-established this. There are brief periods where small cars are the rage, but this is a very fickle need, based entirely on a spike in gas prices.

 

2. California sets the nation's emission standards. Because so many cars are sold there, the auto-industry simply develops all the cars in all states to this standard.

 

3. There are 3 main types of emissions: Nitrous Oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons (HC), and Carbon Monoxide. As NOx is a main contributor to smog, California hit NOx very hard in 2009, reducing the allowable NOx PPM by 10x. Naturally, this killed the small-engine diesel industry, since diesels create a ton of NOx. Europe did not make these same policies. Rather, they have hit hard on HC's, which are produced more from unleaded engines. Thus, directing US policy away from diesels and EU policy toward diesels.

 

4. It is possible to continue making diesels with very low emissions through the use of NOx traps (a cat for NOx, basically) or through Urea injection (spraying ammonia into the exhaust stream), but they are quite expensive ... $2-3k additional equipment on a vehicle that already has low demand in America. Not likely.

 

Overall, conspiracy or not, I am thankful that our country doesn't look like this yet (album: http://imgur.com/a/CnXGL):

 

[HarrytheCarGeek]

It makes me wonder; where are we headed?

 

This is a great question!

 

1. If you had the free time to think about other things besides running your business, what do you think those running government think about doing to those of us in private industry?

 

2. If you were running government, would you welcome people in private industry telling you what to do?

 

3. Do you think those running government really care about the true individual welfare of each of us to the extent that it does not benefit them?

 

4. Who is really behind the drafting of government policies, and for whose benefit?

 

It is really scary to want to peek behind the curtain and seeing what truly goes behind the scenes.

[Jeff]

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[Gonzo]

Some things just don't make sense. All these government regulations for which car is allowed into the states and the way the political side of things writes a law and then can't see the fault in the interpretations of that said law. Gee... do ya think all this bad air from all those pollutants knows where the borders are? They must know... or... the politicians haven't found a way to tax air yet.

[HarrytheCarGeek]

They must know... or... the politicians haven't found a way to tax air yet.

 

Yes, they have. It is just taking a little long to implement. It is called Carbon Credits. Don't worry, soon you will know all about your "Carbon Footprint." And how expensive it will be to breathe, no joke. Read up on how they are doing it in Australia http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/19/report-australian-carbon-tax-contributes-to-record-number-of-businesses-insolvencies/