Is Keeping Your Old Car Better for the Environment? by Engineering Explained

[Autobahnschleicher]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I am favorable to both biofuels and those synthetic fuels made through carbon sequestration. When it comes specifically to biofuels, the possibility of resorting to nearly any organic waste as a feedstock for at least one biofuel also renders it more reasonable than simply pushing for a ban of the ICE.

Indeed, but for some reasons our greens where very much against this idea.
There was a proposal to not have mineral oil tax on biofuels, wich they voted against.
Their reasoning was that we should focus on electric cars instead, wich we should indeed do, but that doesn't mean all ICE cars instantly disappear from the road.
Cars have a lifespan and we're still building ICE cars, if we want to reduce CO2 emissions, using CO2 neutral fuels for them is a significant factor.

Although having mineral oil tax on non mineral oil fuels is a little obscure to begin with if you ask me.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Autobahnschleicher

Indeed, but for some reasons our greens where very much against this idea.
There was a proposal to not have mineral oil tax on biofuels, wich they voted against.

The so-called greens often ignore what is easily achievable, while they push for their pipe-dreams as if they were some sort of one-size-fits-all approach.

Their reasoning was that we should focus on electric cars instead, wich we should indeed do, but that doesn't mean all ICE cars instantly disappear from the road.

EVs might cater to the needs of some rich people who can afford to keep a fleet of specialized vehicles, while in a best-case scenario a plug-in hybrid is closer to cover most of the needs of a single-car household.

Cars have a lifespan and we're still building ICE cars, if we want to reduce CO2 emissions, using CO2 neutral fuels for them is a significant factor.

I support biofuels for strategic reasons, as they can be better integrated with many crops and livestock enabling a regional sourcing. This is also likely to decrease the carbon output of the logistics. And considering some residues at a negligible cost could serve as a feedstock, it's a more effective approach to keep the stability of the cycles of carbon and nitrogen at the atmosphere, as it would prevent organic matter to simply rot away releasing methane and some other compounds.

Although having mineral oil tax on non mineral oil fuels is a little obscure to begin with if you ask me.

Some politics are outstanding at creating a problem out of nowhere in order to sell a fake solution.

[Xist]

I always hear that environmentalists oppose clearing out forests.

I don't like forest fires! Who does?!

Environmentalists?!

Apparently environmentalists have been cooperating with fire prevention: https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/...try-practices/

[Autobahnschleicher]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

EVs might cater to the needs of some rich people who can afford to keep a fleet of specialized vehicles, while in a best-case scenario a plug-in hybrid is closer to cover most of the needs of a single-car household.

I would disagree with that, the range is there, the fast charging infrastructure is the and the car prices are coming down.
However they haven't realy trickled down into the used car market yet, or at least the ones with good range.

Taking a 20 min charging break every 400-ish km or 3-4h of driving isn't realy something I'd consider big of a deal as I'd need to take a break at that point anyway.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by Xist

I always hear that environmentalists oppose clearing out forests.

I don't like forest fires! Who does?!

Environmentalists?!

Well, I have heard of clearing out forests causing desertification (i.e. the Sahara). But in the other hand I've never heard of a desert fire.

On topic, an ICE can be converted to wood gas. I'll not sure to how that compares to running electric off of wood.

[Autobahnschleicher]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

On topic, an ICE can be converted to wood gas. I'll not sure to how that compares to running electric off of wood.

Wood-gas is pretty terrible:
1. It is very inefficient
2. It requires a somewhat elaborate starting procedure
3. It reduces an engines power output massively
4. It makes your oil go acidic rather quickly
5. The emissions of an engine running on wood-gas are terrible

Use that plant material to make ethanol instead.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Autobahnschleicher

I would disagree with that, the range is there, the fast charging infrastructure is the and the car prices are coming down.

Not in my country. But anyway, some folks here get excited about EV because they believe it would be cheap to slow-charge it at home, yet most of the times I have seen some "affordable" EV it was being used by an Uber driver, who may not have enough time to spend waiting for a slow charge.

[Autobahnschleicher]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Not in my country. But anyway, some folks here get excited about EV because they believe it would be cheap to slow-charge it at home, yet most of the times I have seen some "affordable" EV it was being used by an Uber driver, who may not have enough time to spend waiting for a slow charge.

Slow charge is relative.
Here in germany it's normal to have 3-phase running to your house, wich means you can usualy install either an 11kW wallbox or an 11kW power outlet.
So you can charge even a 100 kWh battery that has been drained completely over night.
With cars like VAGs ID-series, Teslas Model 3/Model Y and so on, you can see prices going down to more average levels.
In a few years these cars will end up in the used market as well and be reasonably cheap.

[Isaac Zachary]

In Mexico you get a 110V (or 120V?) service with only 30 amps total for the whole house.

In the USA a lot of us rent our homes/apartments. And even if we do have a way of installing a charger it is usually harder to get much more than 240V at 30 or 40 amps (well actually 80% of those amps or 24 or 32 amps respectively). The more you go from there the more likely you need your house service upgraded (total amperage at pole to home) although some homes may need an upgrade even with a 20 amp (16amp) increase.

[Autobahnschleicher]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

In Mexico you get a 110V (or 120V?) service with only 30 amps total for the whole house.

In the USA a lot of us rent our homes/apartments. And even if we do have a way of installing a charger it is usually harder to get much more than 240V at 30 or 40 amps (well actually 80% of those amps or 24 or 32 amps respectively). The more you go from there the more likely you need your house service upgraded (total amperage at pole to home) although some homes may need an upgrade even with a 20 amp (16amp) increase.

I'm quite surprised how terrible the electric grid is over there.
With 110V and 30A, you've only got 3,3kVA for the whole house.
A normal power outlet here has 3,5kVA (maximum, not sustained).
As for 240V, single phase systems, for that kind of power you'd probably want a higher voltage/more phases as that would require rather thick cables.

What where they thinking with this whole split-phase 110/220Vsystem over there?
3-phase 220/380V is more efficient and requires less copper for a given power requirement as well as giving you the option of running 3-phase motors directly from the grid.
Plus let's not forget that you can run RCDs from the breaker box.

/rant