Re: Anthropogenic Global Warming
Reply #550 –
For example, car users have been questioning gas consumption figures for decades.
That may relate more to the fuel. They put up to 10% ethanol in gasoline nowadays. I've gotten around a hundred extra miles out of a tank using non-ethanol gas on trips.
Diesel engines tend to get way higher MPG.
Up to a point, anyway. Believe it or not, that's one of the issues with the VW diesel problems. The engines in question are small. 2.0 liter engines. They get great mileage, and since they're turbocharged they have decent power for such a small engine. Problem: There's not much left-over power for the particulate filters and the DEF system. So-- VW didn't install DEF on the 2.0 engines, hoping they were small enough not to have to worry about it. DEF as it just so happens does wonders to control N0x emissions, but at the cost of power. Also--- the DEF systems have been something of a maintenance nightmare, breaking and requiring expensive fixes to keep it going. I know guys right now who won't touch Sprinters just because of the DEF nightmares.
Oh, yeah---- while I'm thinking of it: Diesel isn't as straight as one might hope either: Here in Illinois and I hear also in Indiana, the fuel is up to 15% "biodiesel" mix. That's soybean oil, for you out-of-towners. Works OK sort of, but there IS a hit on the mileage, and biodiesel gels at higher temperatures than straight #2 diesel does--- so you have to add more (expensive) anti-gelling fluid to the fuel in winter.