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Unmentioned Energy Fix: A 55 M.P.H. Speed Limit
The New York Times ^ | May 1, 2005 | Jad Mouawad and Simon Romero

Posted on 05/01/2005 6:19:00 AM PDT by MississippiMasterpiece

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To: Sooth2222

Note that there is a NEW Jetta for 2005.5 and that may be the reason to have to put a lower price on the old design to clear them out.


161 posted on 05/01/2005 11:12:29 AM PDT by Paladin2 (Don't Tread on Me; Live Free or Die)
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To: dalereed

I luv that blazer, put a new posi in the rear, and the block only has about 37,000 on it.

But a 2.8 litre simply ain't enough for a 4850 pound rig. Still, if I need to haul something, it's great.

I might get a newer year and see what I can do with it. You can pick up one of the late 80's or early 90's Blazers for a song, just gotta watch out what you're getting.


162 posted on 05/01/2005 11:15:16 AM PDT by djf
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To: RightOnline

going to fill up the Expedition right now!!! and the GT Tang, then maybe I'll burn some rubber in front of the Dem. Headquarters.....:)


163 posted on 05/01/2005 11:20:30 AM PDT by moviegirl (there are no problems........only solutions)
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To: Numbers Guy

Actually most cars and LD trucks get the maximum FE at 35 to 45 MPH. It's just that no one drives that speed for hour after hour on the freeway to get the data. Most driving is done at 35-45 and includes lots of stop and go along with short trips, neither of which is conducive to good FE. Thats why hybrid vehicles get better city economy than highway economy - they are designed for the stop and go traffic of city driving.


164 posted on 05/01/2005 11:20:51 AM PDT by Paladin2 (Don't Tread on Me; Live Free or Die)
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To: MikeinIraq
if I drive correctly, I will get the same MPG at 70 as I will at 55....

I can assure you that you won't. At highway speeds, the main variable in gasoline consumption is air resistance, which increases exponentially with speed.

165 posted on 05/01/2005 11:43:02 AM PDT by rkhampton
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To: MississippiMasterpiece
But if history is any guide, there is one thing he could do immediately: bring back the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit.

Oooh, I've got a BETTER idea: how about limiting the publication days of all liberal leaning newspapers with a circulation of more than 10,000?

Think of all the TREES that will be saved, and of all the gasoline that will be saved by the lack of delivery of the leftists screeds??

Damn, that's a good idea--it would uplift the intellect of the nation and some energy would be saved. I propose we start with only allowing the NY Slimes to print an edition every other day. If we aren't saving enough energy, we can always trim it back more.

166 posted on 05/01/2005 11:45:36 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (I'm so glad to no longer be associated with the Party of Dependence on Government!)
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To: muleskinner

The exact formula is complicated. At higher speeds, air resistance is the main variable in determining gasoline consumption and air resistance increases exponentially with speed. I don't know the exact value of the exponent, but have heard claims that doubling speed increases drag by a factor of four, so the exponent must be around 2. Also, I have heard that this comes out to 2 percent off your 55 mph mileage for every mph over 55, but figures vary somewhat.


167 posted on 05/01/2005 11:51:38 AM PDT by rkhampton
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To: B Knotts

I believe General Motors killed any possible widespread support for diesels by their introduction of diesel V-8s in Oldsmobile and Cadillac cars during the 1970s fuel crisis. Instead of doing the engineering to develop a real turbodiesel they just did a quick and dirty retrofit on existing V-8 blocks. Crankshafts lasted about 30,000 miles. Owners couldn't give the cars away. Meanwhile, early '80s Mercedes series 123 turbodiesels are still clattering away with 300,000 and 400,000 miles behind them.


168 posted on 05/01/2005 11:58:50 AM PDT by 19th LA Inf
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To: MississippiMasterpiece
"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected."-G.K. Chesterton
169 posted on 05/01/2005 11:58:56 AM PDT by hosepipe (This Propaganda has been edited to include not a small amount of Hyperbole..)
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To: cripplecreek
Speed doesn't have anything to do with mileage

You don't defeat a stupid argument with more of the same. Air resistance, which is the main variable in mileage at higher speeds, increases exponentially with speed. Double your speed and you quadruple air resistance. What the article says is factually correct. The way to argue against it is to point out that we are free people accustomed to a certain lifestyle and have priorities other than trying to knock ten percent off our gas bill.

170 posted on 05/01/2005 12:01:51 PM PDT by rkhampton
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To: MississippiMasterpiece
How much energy can be saved by ending forced busing for integration?
171 posted on 05/01/2005 12:02:24 PM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Question Liberalism)
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To: MississippiMasterpiece

My suggestion is a 30 mph speed limit for all states that do not contribute some energy to the national economy. It can be wind power, water power, coal, nuclear or fossil fuels, but every state should be required to produce a certain amount of energy or they would have the 30mph limit...which is just about as fast as one could peddle a bicyle. People in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, the fuel producing states, would be free to set their own speed limits, of course. Why should the energy freeloaders have any right to set national speed limits?


172 posted on 05/01/2005 12:06:49 PM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: Nov3
Nov3 said: "I don't have the time to explain the concepts of velocity, drag, work, and energy to you."

The confusion may arise from the fact that the typical driver measures mileage at highway speeds on highways and at city speeds in cities. Stop-and-go conditions are very inefficient.

173 posted on 05/01/2005 12:07:29 PM PDT by William Tell
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To: rkhampton

I have 4 months of driving nearly 75 miles one way to work every day through both a 55 MPH construction zone and normaly 65 MPH highway zones that would show you otherwise.....it surprised me too. There is not much of a difference......


174 posted on 05/01/2005 12:08:31 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (MikeinIraq in 2020!!)
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To: MikeinIraq
If it's a gasoline engined vehicle with an auto trans, the difference may be relatively small as the engine operation with more throttle is more efficient which tends to mask the extra energy necessary to push the air out of the way faster.

If the energy fraction used for things other than pushing air out of the way is relatively large (A/C on, fat tires, disk brake drag at all four corners, heavily preloaded bearings, power steering and automatic hydraulic pumps, heavy vehicle, etc.), then the percentage effect is also reduced.

175 posted on 05/01/2005 12:16:06 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Don't Tread on Me; Live Free or Die)
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To: MikeinIraq
If it's a gasoline engined vehicle with an auto trans, the difference may be relatively small as the engine operation with more throttle is more efficient which tends to mask the extra energy necessary to push the air out of the way faster.

If the energy fraction used for things other than pushing air out of the way is relatively large (A/C on, fat tires, disk brake drag at all four corners, heavily preloaded bearings, power steering and automatic hydraulic pumps, heavy vehicle, etc.), then the percentage effect is also reduced.

176 posted on 05/01/2005 12:16:51 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Don't Tread on Me; Live Free or Die)
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To: Paladin2

FR running slowly today?


177 posted on 05/01/2005 12:17:25 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Don't Tread on Me; Live Free or Die)
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To: MikeinIraq
The only thing that I can possibly suggest is that in going through the construction zone at the lower speed, you are constantly accelerating and decelerating, somewhat. What I said only holds true at constant highway speeds. If that doesn't explain it, than like you, I am rather surprised at your results, because at a 20 mph difference, the air resistance would definitely affect things.
178 posted on 05/01/2005 12:17:30 PM PDT by rkhampton
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To: rkhampton

see post #176, he nails it on the head....

My car is a '98 Chrysler Concorde. When you get above about 50 MPH, the car just glides...


179 posted on 05/01/2005 12:23:46 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (MikeinIraq in 2020!!)
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To: MississippiMasterpiece

Bogus. Optimum operation depends on the vehicle's setup. The old Caprice got 26, but only at 92 mph.


180 posted on 05/01/2005 12:25:31 PM PDT by RightWhale (These problems would not exist if we had had a moon base all along)
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