For those concerned about the thermal stress that an engine would have while running leaner, and those who eventually would feel quite uncomfortable due to the increase on NOx, supplemental water injection might be a good way to overcome those issues.
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Originally Posted by rmay635703
Makes you wonder if having your car make a little more NOx but reducing fuel use 20% might reduce overall emissions since your taking a chunk out of the 300 grams of NOx per gallon the refinery makes?
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Not just the refinery, since that extra amount of fuel (and the imported petroleum) would still require hauling, which is also quite energy-expensive and polluting. Considering that tanker ships hauling oil from the Middle East and Venezuela are not so strictly emissions-controlled as road vehicles, and that one of the main complains about NOx is that it turns sea water more acidic, lean-burn doesn't seem so problematic at all.