[pp.int.general] Big Brother in NL?

[Andrew Norton]

On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 9:31 PM, Stephane Bakhos <nuitari at pirateparty.ca> wrote:

> What I really dislike is when government hides taxes behind a bunch of
> huggy-feely nonsense and lies.
>
> New cars are much more fuel efficient then before,

Are they? Really? The engines are more efficient, yes, but they're
also much heavier (things like crumple zones require more bodywork to
make up for the weakening of the structure for the planned deformation
etc)
The 06-09 US honda civic gets 25/36 city/highway mpg (U.S. gallons) with the 1.8

4th Gen (88-92) civic with the 1.5 gets in the region of 30/35 (bigger
engines mean more torque, and better highway milage)

Saturn (a US division of GM, just about to be shut down) has cars less
fuel efficient now, that the models they had 10 years ago that those
cars replaced.

Engines are not that much more efficient, but cars ARE that much heavier.

My main car, a 91 Lumina
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Lumina#1990-1994) is a large
car by European standards (It seats 6, 3 abrest) and is 3500lb
(1589kg).

The 2010 4-door golf? 3100lb (1407kg)

The lumina's 15cm longer in wheelbase alone, and 80cm overall (5m
versus 4.2) and 2cm wider. The weight difference should be a lot
greater.

What I'm trying to say, is that cars have been tricked out more, but
there's been very little improvement in engine efficiency in the last
20 years. The golf has gotten half a ton heavier in that time. (If
you're wondering why I'm using the golf, it's a car sold worldwide, as
a fairly consistent spec, and has been for some time - the only other
one that springs to mind is the civic, and there are different US and
EU versions for the last few years)

Cars become heavier, engines get bigger, new, smaller cars are made to
give the same weight and 'economy' as older cars. Or to put it another
way, An 02-08 Ford Fiesta (1100Kg base) is heavier than a 74-80 (EU)
Escort (880Kg), although they're actually about the same size
physically.

Right now, there's quite a few car ads here in the US about fuel
efficiency, including Toyota boasting that quite a few of their cars
can do 30mpg. I could do that same mpg with my 86 Volvo 340, and
unlike the modern toyotas boasting that claim, I can fit 4 passengers
and half a Reliant Robin in the back (and have done!).

So, in short (before I go TOO trainspotter; I was brought up in a
motor-racing household, and even looked at trying to make it as a
career before two accidents - one rallying, one karting - cut it
short) cars have stayed about as efficient, with a few examples, but
have got bigger and heavier. Hence more gears, CVTs, etc. and why
'tricks' like cylinder deactivation are used. You also want to know
how to make a Prius a lot greener? Dump out the batteries and electric
drive. It's a huge amoutn of weight (and the making of the batteries,
and their eventual disposal is pretty F***ing back for the enviroment.
The Nickle is mined in Canada, refined in China, made into batteries
in Japan, and THEN installed). Sure, driving 10 miles to work, you
might be putting out less CO2 than the guy next to you, but 'green',
hardly.

I've gone on WAY too long again, and sorry if I bored you. Cars are
another of my hobbies though. Kit cars, racing them, fixing them,
building them etc.

Andrew