Posted on 12/19/2007 5:42:22 PM PST by BenLurkin
If you're like me, the bluster and grandstanding associated with big congressional actions make you want to roll up the windows, crank up the radio, and tune out the whole circus. But the mammoth energy bill finally passed by Congress and signed by President Bush is something consumers should pay attention to. Among other things, the new law will directly affect the kinds of cars on the market in a few years--and what buyers pay for them. Some of the big changes that automakers and consumers will both have to contend with:
Surprisingly tough gas mileage standards. The requirement to raise corporate average fuel economy (the quaint-sounding "CAFE," in Beltway-speak) is an aggressive target that will force adjustments by automakers and consumers alike. Getting to a fleetwide average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020, from the current standard of 27.5 mpg, will require annual fuel-efficiency increases of about 3.3 percent. New technology and market competition always drive some gains in efficiency, but over the past couple of decades in the United States, it's amounted to less than 1.5 percent per year. Even in Europe and Japan, where gas costs more and cars get better mileage, annual gains have been 2 percent or less. Environmentalists are disheartened by other aspects of the energy law, such as its lack of support for renewable energy, but on gas mileage it has teeth. Our overall fuel economy numbers will still be lower than elsewhere, but the improvements will be dramatic.
More technology, sooner. One way to get better mileage is to build smaller engines--but in a market where buyers are used to performance, that's not going to win any new customers. So automakers will accelerate development of under-the-hood technologies that make engines more efficient and help improve mileage without a trade-off in performance. "This will unleash torrents of engineers all over the world," predicts one auto executive. Expect to see more hybrids, diesels, turbochargers, and other advanced gizmos that squeeze 1 or 2 additional horsepower from a gallon of gas. And get used to new automotive initials like CVT (continuously variable transmission), VVT (variable valve timing), and DOD (displacement on demand). One feature likely to become commonplace: The automatic start-stop technology--or "golf cart" effect--that's standard on hybrids. Shutting down the engine during stops and running accessories off a battery instead of the gas engine can boost mileage by 10 to 30 percent.
Bigger window stickers. Expect to pay more for that technology, too. People on all sides agree that meeting the new standards will make cars more expensive. But by how much? Estimates range from less than $1,000 per car (diehard environmentalists) to a catastrophic $6,000 or more (General Motors). Internally, many automakers anticipate price increases in the range of $2,000 to $2,500 per car by 2020, in today's dollars. Costs will be phased in gradually, beginning with model year 2011 cars (mostly introduced in 2010), so that will mitigate the sticker shock somewhat. And better gas mileage will offset the costs further. But the typical new-car buyer who purchases a fresh model every three to five years will still feel a pinch. If prices rise too much, one perverse outcome could be fewer new-car sales, with drivers holding on to older, less efficient cars longer.
More potential problems. Automakers prefer to roll out new technology gradually, by introducing it on one or two models, gauging consumer acceptance, making sure it works, and marketing it more broadly if it succeeds. But with greater pressure to improve gas mileage, manufacturers are likely to hurry technology onto the market with less real-world testing. That could cause unforeseen problems. Air bags were a genuine safety breakthrough in the '80s and '90s, for instance, but it took several years of real-world crash data for researchers to figure out that they could also be harmful to kids and small adults, and make modifications. Lab testing and computer simulations can help pinpoint many problems, but the broader and faster the rollout of unproven technology, the bigger the risk of unintended consequences.
An end to horsepower wars. A Hemi V-8 won't seem quite as appealing to mainstream buyers if it comes with a hefty price premium, which is probably what will happen. Automakers will effectively be penalized for building cars that get poor mileage (Jeep Grand Cherokee with 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi: 13 mpg/city), so they'll either have to charge a lot more to offset the added cost or they'll make fewer gas guzzlers. So expect fewer mass-market cars with a standard or optional V-8 and more four-cylinder engines in place of a V-6. Muscle cars won't go away, however, as long as there are enthusiasts willing to pay extra for them. And assuredly there will be, given that orders for the 425-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT8, which doesn't even arrive till next spring, have already driven the asking price from an MSRP of just under $40,000 up to nearly $60,000.
Fewer big SUVs, plenty of everything else. One scare tactic in the CAFE battle has been the automaker claim that Americans would all end up driving flimsy little econoboxes. Unlikely. One change that will probably happen is that GM, Ford, and Chrysler will build fewer big SUVs based on pickup truck frames, which are good for towing but heavy and inefficient. That's been happening anyway, as carlike crossovers such as the Toyota Highlander and GMC Acadia have become far more popular. But no other types of cars seem to be endangered, partly because automakers will each be assigned their own overall mileage target based on the mix of vehicles they already build: Manufacturers with a "heavy" mix, like the Detroit 3, will have to meet a lower standard, and those with a "lighter" mix, such as Honda, Volkswagen, and Nissan, will have to meet a higher standard. In other words, there will be incentives for automakers to keep building the kinds of cars they already produce--but to make them more efficient. Still, specific targets for each automaker and type of car won't be set until the spring of 2009, which means the circus isn't leaving town just yet. Turn up the volume.
those examples of what I said are not getting energy out of nothing...there is simply more coming out than goes in. If you were more of an honest person you would verify what I am saying by calling the protium company and they will verify the truth of the matter. I am afraid that you have been educated out of some of your God given commonsense.
Getting more energy out of the water than you put into the water is energy out of nothing. It doesn't happen.
If you were more of an honest person you would verify what I am saying by calling the protium company and they will verify the truth of the matter.
If you understood physics, you wouldn't need to call.
Tell you what, why don't you call and ask them why their invention doesn't violate the laws of thermodynamics? Please ping me when you post their answer.
you know, the interesting thing is that you think these people that are using the supplemental hydrogen systems are dumb like me...but who is a bit dumb when they are spending 25-100% less on gas and getting better and cleaner running cars. The results speak for themselves. They are using a very small amount of electricity and some catalyst both which amount to pennies per tankful and are getting great improvements in mpg’s. That’s the facts...they speak for themselves. Perhaps you have believed a false teaching. Can you even consider that? Why don’t you give it a try...you may end up freer to learn that God has given us abundant energy to tap into.
They're only dumb if they think they can get more energy out of water than the energy used to split the water.
They are using a very small amount of electricity and some catalyst
Using a catalyst? Do you know what a catalyst is? Maybe you know what catalyst they use?
both which amount to pennies per tankful and are getting great improvements in mpg’s. That’s the facts
The fact that Hydrogen has a complete burn cycle and above sonic speed flame front, Hydrogen can alter the combustion dynamics of other fuels which thereby increases the adiabatic efficiency of the engine's combustion cycle. In other words, when you introduce Hydrogen into an engine that is running on another fuel, that other fuel, burns faster, burns cleaner and requires less of the other fuel to perform it's work.
We know that gasoline engines are roughly, only 21% efficient and diesel engines are about 40% efficient, however, when we add hydrogen into the combustion cycle, for every 1% increase in the adiabatic efficiency, we receive a 2.5% decrease in fuel consumption. So the more Hydrogen, the better the fuel economy.
The above 2 paragraphs are from the Protium website. See the underlined portion? It claims a gasoline engine is 21% efficient. That means the useful energy in gasoline is only 21% of the total energy. The other 79% is probably lost to friction and heat. So, if Protium claims that adding hydrogen increases the amount of useful energy that can be extracted from the gasoline, that is much different than claiming they can get more energy out of hydrogen than they put into splitting the water.
Perhaps you have believed a false teaching.
Perhaps you should take a reading comprehension class before you take a Physics class?
Why don’t you give it a try...you may end up freer to learn that God has given us abundant energy to tap into.
It's true, crude oil and gasoline have lots of energy that we can use. Water does not.
well, I am glad at least you are reading their site. But what you are missing is the fact that they have found a way with their protium reactors that will indeed use only water and the catalyst to run cars for pennies to the gallon. You just are wrong about needing an equal amount of energy in order to get the energy from water. They and others have already proved that to be wrong. Hydrogen has the most energy per weight ratio of any fuel, that’s why nasa uses it for their rockets and why it will set us free from middle east oil dependency and open up a huge new world of economic benefits for all. The oil companies will suffer for sure, but at the great benefit of the whole world. Are we supposed to continue to drag our feet in regards to great new technologies in order to keep the oil industry alive? Of course not.
Your Protium company only guarantees a 10% increase in fuel economy using their hydrogen system. Consider the math... Assume I drive a vehicle that gets 25mpg, I drive 12,000 per year, and gas is $3.00 per gallon. That means I use $480 gallons of gas per year, costing $1,440.
Now using their system, I get 27.5 mpg. That means I now use 436 gallons per year costing $1309. Their system “saves” me $130 per year.
Unfortunately, their system costs $900 + labor. Assuming two hours at $60/hour, they total costs is $1,200. It takes 9.2 years to break even, or 12.7 years at a 5% cost of capital.
The good news is that if I install today, by 2020 I’ll break even. The bad news is, I’ll be driving a 13 year old POS.
A Trabant in every garage, brought to you courtesy of the Democratic Party.....
Yeah, tell it to Einstein.
The oil companies will suffer for sure
LOL!
Are we supposed to continue to drag our feet in regards to great new technologies in order to keep the oil industry alive?
Well, a perpetual motion machine or a protium "reactor" that gets more energy out of water than you put in would certainly be a new technology. Unfortunately, neither will happen.
your math is off slightly, but actually the results of most users is quite a bit higher than 10%. More like 25-50% and sometimes more. I found an even more affordable comapny here which has a wonderful hydrogen supplemental system that’s easy to install. Read some of the testimonials...very impressive and they can be verified.http://www.savefuel.ca/hydrogen/index.php?id=index
As soon as you start using liquid hydrogen in your car, let me know.
and why it will set us free from middle east oil dependency and open up a huge new world of economic benefits for all.
And all this hydrogen is going to be made by protium reactors? If not, where will the energy come from for this wonderful hydrogen future?
you honestly don’t sound very bright for an educated man. I think they took some of your commonsense with all of that education. You need some work there...why don’t you download the be still from fhu.com. It’s free and has helped millions of people to be happy and free.
Laws of Thermodynamics.
You need some work there...
If I pray, I can get energy out of water?
I'm shocked that you couldn't answer my questions. LOL!
well, when the protium comapny comes out with the full hydrogen conversions for all cars for about $900 I will get back to you and see what you say then.
Yeah. But you will be able to buy two sporty coupes, one for mom to drive and one for dad to drive. Take the family out for dinner, take both cars.
Both will meet 35 mpg CAFE, but family's effective mpg=17!
May sound silly, but as cars get tiny and you can no longer fit everyone in the micro-truckster comfortably, I suspect this is not going to be uncommon.
Another example of unexpected consequences of government meddling.
Feds take more control. GM sells more cars per family. Exxon sells more gas. Enviros send more thank-you donations to the dems. Everyone's happy!
CAFE doesn't care how much MPG-per-passenger a car gets. It's so damn stupid.
AH but you forget the proposed “mileage tax”!
the proof will be when folks can add on the protium system for about $900 and run for pennies on the gallon of distilled water. It doesn’t matter how much you and others doubt it, when it is happening, millions will be users almost immediately.
I know. Using just water and no gasoline. I can't wait. Why are they only charging $900?
It doesn’t matter how much you and others doubt it,
Will you be clicking your ruby slippers?
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