View Single Post
Old 04-23-2014, 07:45 AM   #17 (permalink)
pete c
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ellington, ct
Posts: 829
Thanks: 44
Thanked 104 Times in 80 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by NachtRitter View Post
Just because an engine is smaller or burns less fuel does not necessarily mean that it burns cleaner than a larger engine.

As well, there is a huge difference in number of Excursions vs Civics. Honda typically sells more Civics in a month than Ford sells Excursions in a year (so more than 12x Civics vs Excursions). Selling even just 5x lean burn Civics which emit the same emissions as an Excursion could give us as much as 10x the CO and 25x the NOx emissions as we have today... that would not be good!
This analogy is ridiculous. You need to look at how much work is being done for a given amount of emissions. In general, the work done by the excursion is the same as that done by the civic (hauling around a butt or two). The % of pollutants in the exhaust mean nothing, once they leave the tailpipe. It is all about the total quantity of pollutants. So, when the excursion dumps 5X the exhaust into the air as the civic, so what if its pollutants are 1/2 as concentrated.

It is simple math. Trouble is, Big Auto makes money selling Excursions and Escalades and the more help they get keeping alternative vehicles off the road, the better for them. These emission rules along with safety regs keeps the little guys from having a chance to market alternative stuff.
  Reply With Quote