Last evening, I pulled onto the road and rolled in behind of a fast moving
19 wheeler.  The exhaust fumes from the rig were only slightly mindful of
the usual diesel odor.  I think the guy was burning some type of modified
kerosene or something entirely different.  He was obviously carrying a
loaded trailer, but he had exception pick up at lights, as he worked through
the gears.
SamC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike S" <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:29 AM
Subject: Re: What is it with the US? (No real van content)

> At 03:26 AM 6/26/2007, Andrew Grebneff wrote...
>>There's nothing "green" about diesels as far as pollution is
>>concerned.
>
> I suppose that requires a definition of "green." Compared to SI
> engines, diesels are better for some pollutants, worse for others.
>
> Real world diesels (the VW TDi, in this case) are capable of lower
> emissions per mile than a comparable gasoline engine, with the
> exception of NOx and particulates. There's a whole debate possible on
> the relative (de)merits of different pollutants, but it's reasonable to
> say the diesel and SI have been in the same ballpark with regard to
> pollutants, and one could argue for either being better. Diesel will
> get better still in terms of pollutants, too, now that low-sulphur fuel
> is on the US market. I don't know if NZ has that available yet.
>
>>The ONLY reason for their popularity in Europe & Japan is economics...
>>diesels use less fuel than gas engines, and even if diesel costs the
>>same
>>as gas, the better milage (kilometerage?)will result in a saving for
>>the
>>owner... never mind that he will never recoup the extra cost of buying
>>the
>>diesel car in the first place.
>
> Nope, the premium (~US$1200 on my Beetle, AIR) has been recouped. Quick
> calc with reasonable assumptions: 45mpg vs. 30mpg, equal fuel cost of
> $3/gallon. Over 45,000 miles, diesel saves 500 gallons (=$1500) in fuel
> costs, paying for the premium. It obviously gets better from there, and
> you also get better residual value due to the better mileage and the
> fact that diesels have a reputation for longevity.
>
>>No diesel car is going to get 60mpg (especially in US gallons) under
>>normal driving conditions... these figures are only obtainable by
>>using
>>extreme techniques and only on out-of-town roads. 30-40mpg (imperial!)
>>is
>>rather more likely in town for normal driving.
>
> You don't have your facts correct. I got an actual 44.5 US MPG measured
> over 100K+ miles in my TDi. That's real world, mixed highway/city, all
> weather conditions, no special driving to increase economy, and with an
> engine chipped to deliver about 25% more power than stock when desired.
> That is not exceptional, and is in line with what many other owners
> get.
>
> With a lighter car having a smaller, less powerful engine, 60 MPG could
> be done. Or a diesel/electric hybrid. Whether it would sell in the
> marketplace is a different question. VW sells the 60+ MPG (imperial
> gallons, highway) Polo today (outside of NA), so an actual car you can
> buy isn't too far from what you're asking for.
>
> I wouldn't expect 60 MPG in a Vanagon.