[ExI] Fuel efficient car for anywhere but America

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of The Avantguardian
Subject: [ExI] Fuel efficient car for anywhere but America

http://www.greencar.com/articles/vw-polo-bluemotion-tops-70-mpg.php

>...This car runs on diesel, has a top speed of 109 mph, has lower CO2
emissions than a Prius, and gets a 
whopping 70 miles to the gallon.
 
>...So here is a riddle for you:  Why can't we get this in North America?
 

Stuart LaForge 


Stuart, I am a fan of turbo Diesel, but there is an important subtlety in
the emissions numbers.  Diesel actually does produce less CO2 per kW of
power production, but it emits more carbon particulate.  In the US, CO2
isn't actually considered a pollutant, but carbon soot is definitely a
pollutant.  Modern Diesel engines have a particulate filter, which helps,
but there is some particulate which necessarily escapes.  Changing the
filter is an expense to the owner, so of course they will remove them.
Carbon particulate is bad for humans, whereas carbon dioxide is harmless in
the quantities that cars and trucks make it.  Some will argue carbon dioxide
is bad for the earth, but that is a different question.

That being said, I can envision a two cylinder 20 kW turbo Diesel in a
series hybrid configuration which would beat both BlueMotion and the Prius
in fuel economy and greenness.  It wouldn't be fast.

spike