Obama pushes for higher fuel efficiency standards

[Zoom-boing]

Does anyone else remember when cars used to get 35 mph or possibly better and that was normal? I seem to remember either a truck or suv that was getting close to 50 mph. What happened?

You're probably thinking of diesel powered cars. The EPA has pretty much banned them for sale in the US. However, in Europe they are fine because they are considered more environmentally friendly. Funny, eh?

OMG, I HAD one of those! My dad thought gas-converted-to-diesel was the way to go. I bought his car off him when it was 5 yrs old. I never remember the mph being all that spectacular though. Then again, I was a youth and have no idea what the mpg on it was. Blown fuel pump and a head gasket (flew off on the highway, never to be seen again) was its demise. But it was a beauty, Olds 98 Regency, royal blue, fabulous interior. Other than the diesel factor, nicest car I ever owned.

I remember other cars though. These, for example. Seems to reach fuel efficiency, big has to go. Guess the Duggars are gonna be tough out of luck.

Cheap High MPG Cars: 1985

 

[xsited1]

Does anyone else remember when cars used to get 35 mph or possibly better and that was normal? I seem to remember either a truck or suv that was getting close to 50 mph. What happened?

You're probably thinking of diesel powered cars. The EPA has pretty much banned them for sale in the US. However, in Europe they are fine because they are considered more environmentally friendly. Funny, eh?

OMG, I HAD one of those! My dad thought gas-converted-to-diesel was the way to go. I bought his car off him when it was 5 yrs old. I never remember the mph being all that spectacular though. Then again, I was a youth and have no idea what the mpg on it was. Blown fuel pump and a head gasket (flew off on the highway, never to be seen again) was its demise. But it was a beauty, Olds 98 Regency, royal blue, fabulous interior. Other than the diesel factor, nicest car I ever owned.

I remember other cars though. These, for example. Seems to reach fuel efficiency, big has to go. Guess the Duggars are gonna be tough out of luck.

Cheap High MPG Cars: 1985

Nice link! We'll see what Obama does. My hunch is that he'll make matters a lot worse. Let's hope I'm wrong.

 

[michiganFats]

Thank God that we are fortunate enough to have noted automotive engineer Barack Obama as President.

 

[Chris]

Thank God that we are fortunate enough to have noted automotive engineer Barack Obama as President.

Thank God, indeed.

Our long national nightmare is finally over.

 

[sitarro]

Thank God that we are fortunate enough to have noted automotive engineer Barack Obama as President.

Thank God, indeed.

Our long national nightmare is finally over.

You're a real dildo aren't cha chris?

 

[Old Rocks]

Mercedes 320, 30 mpg at 80 mph.

2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC -- Test drive and new car review -- 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC turbodiesel

 

[WillowTree]

Thank God that we are fortunate enough to have noted automotive engineer Barack Obama as President.

Thank God, indeed.

Our long national nightmare is finally over.

You're a real dildo aren't cha chris?

You are not allowed to say dildo, it confuses someone! A Quacker!

 

[cunclusion]

So trying to get higher fuel efficiency standards is bad now. That is very interesting so are you guys against going to another alternative fuel also. Do you like giving all your money to other countries around the world or would you rather it stay here and circulate. I hope this is all a bad joke because if you guys are serious we are indeed in trouble.

 

[Zoom-boing]

So trying to get higher fuel efficiency standards is bad now. That is very interesting so are you guys against going to another alternative fuel also. Do you like giving all your money to other countries around the world or would you rather it stay here and circulate. I hope this is all a bad joke because if you guys are serious we are indeed in trouble.

Ethanol was suppose to help reduce our dependency on foreign oil too. How's that working out?

I agree that something needs to be done. They made cars smaller and more fuel efficient in the past but there is another price to pay for that. Smaller cars are not as safe as bigger cars.

How come the option of drilling off the coasts of the U.S. is no longer mentioned and instead, it is only about the government telling the automakers what to do? Ah, I suppose the government is making sure its getting its money's worth from The Big Three, eh?

If Obama wants to keep good on his promises, he needs to compromise.

 

[cunclusion]

Thank you, but hey since we put money into the automobile companies its only right they need to adhere to what the government has been saying we do want our money back.

 

[michiganFats]

So trying to get higher fuel efficiency standards is bad now. That is very interesting so are you guys against going to another alternative fuel also. Do you like giving all your money to other countries around the world or would you rather it stay here and circulate. I hope this is all a bad joke because if you guys are serious we are indeed in trouble.

I don't think higher fuel efficiency standards are bad. I do think it's ridiculous for a non-engineer to think he can just snap his fingers and "presto!",problem solved. I am in favor of alternative fuels. I think that Brazil is doing it the right way by requiring that all cars be flex fueled. That's still government interference, but it least it results in competition at the pump, and it has kept their prices down. I'm also in favor of mass transit. I'd much rather take the bus then have to maintain a car,too bad the mass transit system in my area sucks.
The diesel technology in Europe right now is outstanding. My neighbor got an Audi diesel last year, and you wouldn't know that it was a diesel if no one told you. Great mileage and performance, 35MPG in the city, and it drives like a sportscar.

As far as our dependence on foriegn oil, it is kind of stupid to keep sending money out of the country. It's too bad we don't drill for the oil that is right here in the good ol' US of A. Remind me again why it is that we aren't drilling here?

 

[cunclusion]

Its cool to require cars to be flex fuels but we run into a major problem is the supply issue. One by removing the susidies to ethanol but currently the price is no better and unless we can refine the way we get ethanol it will be taken from our food supply which is a bad idea anyways. Brazil uses sugar but it has a whole lot less vehicles on the road. I saw something on Discovery and CNBC about seaweed that is something we could look into produces more of the fuel and requires less energy to produce and a few companies are looking into it as a viable solution for right now for flex i think its the best but will not be viable for atleast another year.

 

[michiganFats]

Cunclusion, great point about the flex fuel. We produce a lot of food in this country, and many people around the world would starve if we didn't. Unfortunately, that means that we can't devote crops for fuel. When I have time today I'm going to research how much food the OPEC nations receive from America, and whether or not any of that food is considered foreign aid.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Thank you, but hey since we put money into the automobile companies its only right they need to adhere to what the government has been saying we do want our money back.

Are you holding your breath? I'm not.

 

[AllieBaba]

Gosh, Obama wants to control population, Obama wants the government to control the auto and banking industries....

But hey, he's no liberal! He's a centrist!

Two years of this shit and Congress is ours.

 

[cunclusion]

Our country needs to be energy self-sufficient with that comes security and jobs what more can anyone ask for. Then we can do something we have not done in a long time we can start shipping oil and gas out instead of taking it in. I dont know about anyone else but thats a great thing. Dont you think?

 

[michiganFats]

I just checked the food figures, nothing there. Oh well.

 

[Chris]

So trying to get higher fuel efficiency standards is bad now. That is very interesting so are you guys against going to another alternative fuel also. Do you like giving all your money to other countries around the world or would you rather it stay here and circulate. I hope this is all a bad joke because if you guys are serious we are indeed in trouble.

I don't think higher fuel efficiency standards are bad. I do think it's ridiculous for a non-engineer to think he can just snap his fingers and "presto!",problem solved. I am in favor of alternative fuels. I think that Brazil is doing it the right way by requiring that all cars be flex fueled. That's still government interference, but it least it results in competition at the pump, and it has kept their prices down. I'm also in favor of mass transit. I'd much rather take the bus then have to maintain a car,too bad the mass transit system in my area sucks.
The diesel technology in Europe right now is outstanding. My neighbor got an Audi diesel last year, and you wouldn't know that it was a diesel if no one told you. Great mileage and performance, 35MPG in the city, and it drives like a sportscar.

As far as our dependence on foriegn oil, it is kind of stupid to keep sending money out of the country. It's too bad we don't drill for the oil that is right here in the good ol' US of A. Remind me again why it is that we aren't drilling here?

Because we only have 3% of the world's oil reserves.

 

[michiganFats]

Chris, when you say 3% please define how you came by that number. Are you talking about just proved developed, or are you including proved undeveloped? I'm not trying to be a dick, it's just that I looked up the numbers, and my response depends upon your definition of reserve.

 

[Old Rocks]

We could have diesels that are 80% cleaner, have double the horsepower, and increase in mileage of 50% or better. Right now, with off the shelf parts. Already being done right here in the US.

Biofuel-Powered by Design
By Lindsey Irwin/staff writer/Article: July 2007 Issue of Bioiesel Magazine

Biodiesel is moving into the world of posh consumer sport utility vehicles thanks to diesel engine conversion specialist Johnathan Goodwin. His fuel economy- and horsepower-enhanced vehicles have been featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, sold on eBay and have now caught the attention of some high-profile figures, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He’s the one they call when all the others say, “It can’t be done.” His peers refer to him as the "foremost authority on Duramax diesel conversions of all vehicles." His work is in such high demand that he could sell one converted diesel engine Hummer an hour, if he wanted. Although he has a right to brag about his innovations, Jonathan Goodwin’s quiet, reserved nature communicates his preference for a low profile. That’s not quite possible, however, as the Wichita, Kan., native’s talent keeps him in the spotlight. In fact, his upcoming conversions are going to be taped for a television series that is set to air on the Discovery Channel, and one of his diesel conversions involves California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal vehicle. Goodwin’s projects are cutting edge, but he insists that he’s simply a hard-worker and a determined problem solver, doing what he loves. "I’m not a chemist, I’m not a scientist or an electrical engineer," Goodwin says. "I’m just one of those people that will take something that I’m interested in and I can’t leave it alone, and I will push it to the highest edge."

Now the head of two of his own companies, Jonathan Goodwin H-Line Conversions, a Hummer conversion business in Wichita, Kan., and SAE Energy, a technology development entity, he got his start working on motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle engines when he was 15 years old. In 1998, Goodwin converted his first Hummer, an H1, to a Duramax diesel engine after a few roadside repairs, running it at high speeds through a pond, pushing all the vehicle’s limits and bending all the rods in the motor. He decided to drop in the new engine to modify a few complications and gain more horsepower and has been refining issues associated with the Hummer line ever since.

Goodwin began to hone in on the environmental and fuel-efficiency aspects of his conversions at the request of a client and since then his business opportunities have snowballed. In 2006, Goodwin partnered with a group called the EcoTrek Foundation to convert the perceived worst gas-guzzler of all sport utility vehicles (SUVs)—the Hummer H2—to run on biodiesel rather than conventional gasoline. Goodwin and environmentalist and auto enthusiast Tom Holm, founder of EcoTrek and the host of Outdoor Life Network’s “Adventure Highway” television series, aligned with General Motors Corp. (GM) to customize the vehicle with a Duramax LBZ engine, an Allison M1000 transmission, sustainable soy-foam seats and nonpetroleum-based tires, along with several other upgraded features. Needless to say, the EcoTrek H2 Hummer was a hit at the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, the premier automotive specialty performance products trade show that attracts more than 100,000 industry professionals each year. “We’ve gotten a lot of interest with mass transportation and some fleets of 800 are just waiting for us to come out and offer this to them,” Goodwin says. “We’re getting close to wanting to do that, but we’ve just been having so much fun refining the technology. It’s been incredible.”

Hot Commodity
Almost immediately following the SEMA Show, Goodwin received a call from Martin Tobias, the CEO of Imperium Renewables, with an out-of-the-ordinary pitch. He wanted to convert a beat-up classic American muscle car to run on biodiesel for a special Earth Day episode of MTV Network’s “Pimp My Ride” (PMR) television show. Goodwin agreed and flew out to Galpin Auto Sports’ garage in Southern California to begin work earlier this year. After 500 hours of taping and build time, the outcome was the ideal “green machine”—an 800 horsepower biodiesel-powered 1965 Chevrolet Impala that gets 25 miles per gallon (mpg). Not only did Goodwin convert the engine despite skepticism from producers of the show, but the car also demonstrated the sheer performance that can be achieved using the renewable fuel. The upgraded Impala raced a Lamborghini at the Pomona Raceway and left it in the dust. “I’m glad that I was able to show them that this diesel engine running on canola oil can pretty much yield all the power that you want,” Goodwin says.
Biofuel-Powered by Design
By Lindsey Irwin/staff writer/Article: July 2007 Issue of Bioiesel Magazine

Biodiesel is moving into the world of posh consumer sport utility vehicles thanks to diesel engine conversion specialist Johnathan Goodwin. His fuel economy- and horsepower-enhanced vehicles have been featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, sold on eBay and have now caught the attention of some high-profile figures, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He’s the one they call when all the others say, “It can’t be done.” His peers refer to him as the "foremost authority on Duramax diesel conversions of all vehicles." His work is in such high demand that he could sell one converted diesel engine Hummer an hour, if he wanted. Although he has a right to brag about his innovations, Jonathan Goodwin’s quiet, reserved nature communicates his preference for a low profile. That’s not quite possible, however, as the Wichita, Kan., native’s talent keeps him in the spotlight. In fact, his upcoming conversions are going to be taped for a television series that is set to air on the Discovery Channel, and one of his diesel conversions involves California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s personal vehicle. Goodwin’s projects are cutting edge, but he insists that he’s simply a hard-worker and a determined problem solver, doing what he loves. "I’m not a chemist, I’m not a scientist or an electrical engineer," Goodwin says. "I’m just one of those people that will take something that I’m interested in and I can’t leave it alone, and I will push it to the highest edge."

Now the head of two of his own companies, Jonathan Goodwin H-Line Conversions, a Hummer conversion business in Wichita, Kan., and SAE Energy, a technology development entity, he got his start working on motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle engines when he was 15 years old. In 1998, Goodwin converted his first Hummer, an H1, to a Duramax diesel engine after a few roadside repairs, running it at high speeds through a pond, pushing all the vehicle’s limits and bending all the rods in the motor. He decided to drop in the new engine to modify a few complications and gain more horsepower and has been refining issues associated with the Hummer line ever since.

Goodwin began to hone in on the environmental and fuel-efficiency aspects of his conversions at the request of a client and since then his business opportunities have snowballed. In 2006, Goodwin partnered with a group called the EcoTrek Foundation to convert the perceived worst gas-guzzler of all sport utility vehicles (SUVs)—the Hummer H2—to run on biodiesel rather than conventional gasoline. Goodwin and environmentalist and auto enthusiast Tom Holm, founder of EcoTrek and the host of Outdoor Life Network’s “Adventure Highway” television series, aligned with General Motors Corp. (GM) to customize the vehicle with a Duramax LBZ engine, an Allison M1000 transmission, sustainable soy-foam seats and nonpetroleum-based tires, along with several other upgraded features. Needless to say, the EcoTrek H2 Hummer was a hit at the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show, the premier automotive specialty performance products trade show that attracts more than 100,000 industry professionals each year. “We’ve gotten a lot of interest with mass transportation and some fleets of 800 are just waiting for us to come out and offer this to them,” Goodwin says. “We’re getting close to wanting to do that, but we’ve just been having so much fun refining the technology. It’s been incredible.”

Hot Commodity
Almost immediately following the SEMA Show, Goodwin received a call from Martin Tobias, the CEO of Imperium Renewables, with an out-of-the-ordinary pitch. He wanted to convert a beat-up classic American muscle car to run on biodiesel for a special Earth Day episode of MTV Network’s “Pimp My Ride” (PMR) television show. Goodwin agreed and flew out to Galpin Auto Sports’ garage in Southern California to begin work earlier this year. After 500 hours of taping and build time, the outcome was the ideal “green machine”—an 800 horsepower biodiesel-powered 1965 Chevrolet Impala that gets 25 miles per gallon (mpg). Not only did Goodwin convert the engine despite skepticism from producers of the show, but the car also demonstrated the sheer performance that can be achieved using the renewable fuel. The upgraded Impala raced a Lamborghini at the Pomona Raceway and left it in the dust. “I’m glad that I was able to show them that this diesel engine running on canola oil can pretty much yield all the power that you want,” Goodwin says.

H-Line Conversions - Hummer H1 & H2 Diesel and Green Fuel Conversions - Wichita, Kansas

Once again, the problem has been lack of leadership among those being paid millions of dollars a year to lead.