2002 Insight hybrid HYBRID

[tekcajwolley]

Lots of thanks for the replies. Although I’ve lurked here for a while, I don’t really know how to use it. How to give thumbs up?

California is where a lovely lady lives.

Licensing the car in Nevada is little different from S Dakota, and much closer.
As far as I can tell.

[tekcajwolley]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

If you were truly worried about the legality of your vehicle, the not as stock ECU should be trashcanned.

I provided what "everyone" is doing locally to me to avoid your predicament. Is it 100% legal? Probably not but it is very common.

All true. Real world meets the legal world. Once you open a can of tuna, ya gotta eat it. i.e when you go about modifying any car for any purpose, it becomes a slippery slope into all kinds of philosophical what ifs.

I did the best I could with mostly pure intent.

[tekcajwolley]

Originally Posted by JSH

.

While you are concerned about CO2 CARB is most concerned about SMOG and NOx is a key contributor to SMOG. If you have lean tuned your car for max MPG you are likely a gross polluter when it comes to local air quality.

Excellent points. This is why the probable best route is to pass it on to someone who truly appreciates these remarkable cars. It’s looking like there’s a win/win scenario available.

But to your point, there are smog legal vehicles in state that are even more gross polluters. It’s all political. This car, even at the gross polluter it is, emits less mass than many others. Think about it.

Thanks

[freebeard]

How to give thumbs up?

Go Advanced and there's a button.

Else type {thumbup} with brackets.

[aerohead]

I left California in 1975 and never looked back.
At that time, the California Highway Patrol could shunt all surface traffic into roadside ' snap-inspection' stations.
They were in possession of emission control hardware for every car sold in the USA, and if what existed under the hood did not jive with what the OEM equipment was, you'd be issued a citation, and given 30-days to bring the car back into compliance with the OEM devices, and pass the 'SMOG' inspection in order to register and tag the car.
I don't know what current policy is within the state.
In the 1980s, carmakers built 'California-only' vehicles for sale within the state, which were the only cars certified by the California Air Resources Board ( CARB ), and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Perhaps you could 'chat' with a 'CHIPPY' at a Sacramento Dunkin Donuts, and get some valuable info.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by tekcajwolley

But to your point, there are smog legal vehicles in state that are even more gross polluters. It’s all political. This car, even at the gross polluter it is, emits less mass than many others. Think about it.

Local air pollution is a result of the emission equipment and tuning of an engine. You cannot know how much NOx your car emits without putting it in a certified emissions lab. Some really fuel efficient vehicles can put out NOx levels that are many multiples of some very inefficient vehicles. Some 125cc scooters produce WAY more local pollution than a F250 truck.

CARB (and EPA) have been steadily reducing the allowed local pollution from vehicles for the last 50 years. However, vehicles are only required to meet the rules that applied with the vehicle was sold not the most current rules. That is not politics - it is the reality that it isn't practical to retrofit emission systems on old vehicles every few years. (Image if people had to get a new catalytic converter and engine mapping every 5 years)

The reality is the vehicle fleet gets steadily cleaner as old vehicles get scrapped and replaced with new ones that are cleaner.

The exception to the no retroactive rule is with on-highway medium and heavy duty engines. In 2022 California stopped renewing registrations for diesels older than 2010. (Which is when SCR was introduced to limit NOx emissions)

I do thing about emissions quite a bit. Today I was reviewing my employers engine product plan between now and 2030 and how we will meet CARB 2024 and 2027.

[Ecky]

I can speak to my experiences. Maybe some part of it will be helpful.

~

After some life events, I decided to pack up and move to New Zealand. I looked into what would be required to bring my Insight here, and while I might have been able to squeak by if I were very savvy about it, realistically the car would never be registerable on the roads here. Not because of the engine swap, mind you, but because I had cut some of the brackets out that held the IMA stuff in place, and those were irreversible cuts to the unibody of the car - a big no-no in this regulatory environment. Also, I had non-standard seats which had obvious modifications to hold the Insight seatbelts. Add to that a lack of traction control, and the steering wheel being on the wrong side, and my case would not be good.

I sold the car. The new owner gets a lot of joy out of it; we keep in contact. I bought a much newer convertible, one that gets pretty fantastic fuel economy in its own right, and is renowned for its reliability, handling, and driver engagement. Compared with the Insight, I'd argue it's a less engaging drive. There are tons of things I miss about my old car, but truthfully it wouldn't have been the right fit here. The speed limits are lower, and every road is winding. The weather is always mild and the sky is usually blue, and I get a lot of enjoyment from top down driving. I really like my new car, even if I don't love it like I loved the Insight.

Overall, selling the Insight was the right choice. Life goes on. I sometimes think about building another, using a local chassis, but it still wouldn't be the right car for the circumstances.