New millenia fuel crisis

New millenia fuel crisis (Full Version)

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MstrObjectmaker -> New millenia fuel crisis (5/28/2008 5:32:02 AM)
Now I'm probably going to stir up a hornets nest here....but.... I seem to recall that during the first fuel crisis during the late part of the last century, the glorious 1970's, the US introduced a mandatory national speed limit of 55miles an hour. Please feel free to correct me on that as far as the reasons for imposing that speed limit. Now I am a big petrol head, I love cars, trucks and bikes and the faster and more powerful they are the better. However having said that I would have thought one of the best ways to protect against the inevitable shortage of available fuel would be for all governments to bring in mandatory legislation that instructs vehicle manufacturers to only produce vehicles that themselves only produce enough power to attain the top national speed limits in any particular country. After all there is no real reason to produce a car that produces over 300 bhp or indeed has the capability of breaking the speed limit. Further more I would have thought that another sensible thing to do would be to ban all motorsports where petroleum is used. Because correct me if I'm wrong but in most motorsports involving cars, the cars themselves are built to produce huge ammounts of power to attain very fast speeds. Why is it so important to see cars whizzing around a track at 200mph plus? Perhaps a reduction in the power of those cars and there subsequent speeds would be a good way to go towards conserving fuel? Any comments would be welcomed.

Irishknight -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/28/2008 5:59:31 AM)
You are correct as to the 55 speed limit. However, it was merely smoke and mirrors. Some cars get worse milage at 55 than at 60. The president (Carter I believe) wanted to appear to be doing something so they made the 55 speed limit. As for setting vehicle speed limitations at the manufacturer, That would make the cars more expensive and less popular at the same time. If you don't believe that it would make them more expensive, go look at what they charge for "accessories" that they build into every car anyway. Hell, in one of my past vehicles, I was charged extra for a rear bumper. Think about the whole racing thing. Do you really want todo away with the thing that keeps so many sitting on their couches on saturday or sunday? Do you want all those people out roaming through the streets bored for all that time? Some of them might even try dusting off brains that have been unused for the last 20 years to create a real thought. THEN we would be in trouble. While not all racing fans are the mullet wearing, gun toting, rednecks of myth, I know enough that are that I don't want them having to figure out what to do with the extra time.

slaveboyforyou -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/28/2008 6:32:40 AM)
We could ban cars all together and all ride mopeds. It's not going to happen. It would be political suicide for anyone to try to propose that kind of legislation. People will stop buying gas guzzlers when gasoline goes up in price. It's not coming down in price as far as I can see, so it will happen eventually. You don't have to put governers on motors, or only produce little put-put cars to get good gas mileage. There are all sorts of cars with great gas mileage; people just don't buy them.

Gwynvyd -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/28/2008 8:33:21 PM)
I will be short.... I ride the bus.. it is cheap.. it is basicaly car pooling with a butt load of people... ( I am broke) and... don't fuck with my Nascar. LOL There I feel better. Besides idiots flying all over the place instead of video confrencing wastes more fuel. Gwyn

Irishknight -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/28/2008 8:40:33 PM)
I know. We'll make NASCAR racers all use electric motors and batteries. They can pull into the pitts for new tires and a fresh power pack. I better hide before Gwyn strangles me.

Archer -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 7:26:47 AM)
The one thing folks always seem to forget about auto racing of all sorts is the innovations that they test on the track that works its way into or is tested and found to not be as usefull as they thought. It's not all speed either, they certainly test ways to make the fuel mileage go up. Less pitstops or the ability to not pit stop under green flags has won alot of races. Better brakes, better stearing, more efficient carbirators or injectors, Much like the space program the number of things initially explored in racing that have later impacted us all at the consuer level is higher than anyone believes until they sit back and start counting them. I've proposed raceing for alternative fuel vehicles before and I believ people would watch. They have Top Fuel Dragsters that burn alcohol so why not.

MstrObjectmaker -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 7:35:27 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Archer I've proposed raceing for alternative fuel vehicles before and I believ people would watch. They have Top Fuel Dragsters that burn alcohol so why not. Well I agree with that.

meatcleaver -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 7:37:43 AM)
The best way to become more fuel efficient is to have efficient public transports sytems in urban areas and efficient public transport systems between major conurbations. Then charge motorists the true cost of running a car which includes the pollution and evironmental degradation. More people will then opt for public transport and so people who are willing to pay the premium for private transport, will be more fuel efficient because the roads will be less congested. I know many Americans say they need their car in such a big country but I remember reading a report that the average American commutes the same distance to work as the average European.

Archer -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 10:37:21 AM)
Problem with Mass Transit in the US is that the break even point just isn't reached in the majority of the country. Sure the trains in the NE work out well but in most of the country the cities simply are not close enough together to make it economicly feasable. They investigated it in TX a large loop Dallas Houston Austin and San Antonio The result was the distance covered was going to be too costly.It's the densly packed population centers where it works and works well. When you go below a certain point of density the costs simply don't cover it. It's not the individual mileage differnce it's the collective critical mass of population that makes it a problem.

Leatherist -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 10:56:05 AM)
The only thing that is going to ultimately change people's driving habits is suffering and doing without for a prolonged period of time. When they get tired of sacrificing thier standard of living to keep gas in that hog-the hog will get replaced. But americans tend to be stubborn and unreasonable. So again, it will take time to wear them down ehough to see the folly of thier ways. As far as mass transit goes-it's too innefficient to use in more than cities. It cannot carry the larger loads many need. The hours are very limited. Van and truck pools would seem a better choice-but again,you cannot behave like a twit -you have the schedule and coordinate. Which means a loss of independence and initiative, and being considerate of those that you share the vehicles with. In a "me first" culture, that is going to take some doing.

pahunkboy -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 1:33:11 PM)
the jingo was "save a gallon of gas a week" many urban zones have a reduced speed of 55 mph. IMO road rules and designs are getting silly. white dots, no turns etc. stop and go is THE thing that burns fuel. if you press the brake peddle chances are you over excelelated. --detroit long LONG has the ability to make fuel efficient cars. at the time the powers that be did not want cut into the market which was THEIRS. a prius only getting 50 mpg? seems in the 70s a datsun got 45 ish. ??? so much for advanced. oh- all the ballyhoo for electric- it wont be cheaper. utilities are going up to. electric here went up 4.5% jan 1, it increases again on jan 1, 42%. not a misprint. forty-two per cent. dont forget to add in the tax. [9ish %] forget everything you learned about the modern world. it wont be too relevant --

Leatherist -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 1:38:35 PM)
A vast amount of eastern electric plants are coal fired-it costs fuel to move tonnage,do the math. They also kill off the enviornment with acid rain from sulphur emmissions. We need more nuke plants to replace them, and electric costs will come down. The only bitch people are currently having with nuke waste is the time it needs to be stored-even so-they are now drying it out and encasing it in glass-that's a pretty non volatile storage solution. You don't need to store something like that in a dry salt mine. The main reasons we still have high energy costs is people who want to preserve and expensive energy market and make big profits off of the consumer. It's time we went on strike against this shit.

celticlord2112 -> RE: New millenia fuel crisis (5/29/2008 1:38:58 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Archer I've proposed raceing for alternative fuel vehicles before and I believ people would watch. They have Top Fuel Dragsters that burn alcohol so why not. Considering how NASCAR has its roots in the moonshiners and whisky runners of the 1930s, having NASCAR race on what would amount to moonshine seems somehow quite fitting.

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