On 8/29/13 5:50 PM, Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 29 Aug 2013 14:04:32 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On the same note, I was reading the other day that diesel power may
soon become the engine of choice for a wide range of both passenger
vehicles as well as trucks. The new ones are clean, very fuel
efficient and make more practical sense than any of the electric
hybrids currently available.

===

In Europe where fuel is more than twice as expensive as it is here, a
high percentage of the passenger vehicles are diesel power. They are
not performance slugs either like the old Volkswagon and Mercedes
models.



Cummins has announced it will be building a 5.0 liter diesel to be used
in Nissan pickup trucks.

http://cumminsengines.com/cummins-5L-V8-turbo-diesel

On Thu, 29 Aug 2013 17:50:58 -0400, Wayne.B wrote:

On Thu, 29 Aug 2013 14:04:32 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On the same note, I was reading the other day that diesel power may
soon become the engine of choice for a wide range of both passenger
vehicles as well as trucks. The new ones are clean, very fuel
efficient and make more practical sense than any of the electric
hybrids currently available.

===

In Europe where fuel is more than twice as expensive as it is here, a
high percentage of the passenger vehicles are diesel power. They are
not performance slugs either like the old Volkswagon and Mercedes
models.

Hey, this turbo-charged 1.4L diesel in my wife's VW is a sporty little bugger. I probably couldn't
outrun a Mustang GT, but it'd have to be filled up a lot more often then the VW. It has no problems
merging on the interstate.

John (Gun Nut) H.
--

Hope you're having a great day!

In article ,
says...

"John H" wrote in message
...


Well....their pickup diesel engines left something to be desired in
terms of reputation. Otherwise
I'd be driving a Ford diesel.

John (Gun Nut) H.

-----------------------

The old Powerstroke 7.2L was a reliable workhorse based on reports of
people that had them. The bad rap Ford diesels received was the 6.0L
replacement, and I can vouch for that. It was introduced under
pressure from Ford marketing before it was fully tested and developed.

The replacement for it ... the current 6.4L has a much better track
record and reputation.

I like diesel powered vehicles, particularly pickup trucks. I would
have purchased another one back in 2008 except they had just
introduced the mandated catalytic converter "burn off" systems.
Sounded a little *too* crazy and new for me, so I went for a gas
powered F250 instead.
It serves my purposes and is now almost 6 model years old but has
under 19,000 miles on it.

On the same note, I was reading the other day that diesel power may
soon become the engine of choice for a wide range of both passenger
vehicles as well as trucks. The new ones are clean, very fuel
efficient and make more practical sense than any of the electric
hybrids currently available.

One thing I'd like to see:

A diesel engine was never really designed to run over a wide range of
RPMs. It was designed to run at a fixed, optimum RPM where it
develops the most torque for the fuel it consumes. Diesel powered
trains run at a constant RPM and the power generated is converted to
electricity to run electric drive motors. I'd really be interested
in how applying that concept in cars or trucks, using the newer, high
efficiency diesels and electric motors available today.

Speaking of modern diesels, my friend has a Chevy that has that
catalytic converter system that uses a fluid to help the thing burn off
exhaust emissions. I had never heard of such, and when he told me that
he took it to the dealer because the dreaded check engine light came on,
he said they told him that the "exhaust fluid" was bad. I thought he was
kidding. NOT!

In article ,
says...

This morning MSNBC's "Morning Joe" is celebrating the recovery of
the American auto industry, giving credit to the bailouts and
concessions made by auto industry unions, etc.

Where is the program being broadcast from? A *Ford* assembly
plant.

So? Ford received almost $6 billion from the government and benefited
from the cash for clunkers program.

http://tinyurl.com/8yw3mcu

"iBoaterer" wrote in message
...

In article ,
says...

This morning MSNBC's "Morning Joe" is celebrating the recovery of
the American auto industry, giving credit to the bailouts and
concessions made by auto industry unions, etc.

Where is the program being broadcast from? A *Ford* assembly
plant.

So? Ford received almost $6 billion from the government and benefited
from the cash for clunkers program.

http://tinyurl.com/8yw3mcu

----------------------------

Ford received a six billion dollar loan from the DOE to scale up
production of fuel efficient cars under a program available to all US
auto makers, economic crisis or not.

GM and Chrysler received emergency federal bailout money to the tune
of over $70 billion. In the case of GM, it's unlikely a good chunk
of it will ever be repaid.