The Slow Death of the Internal Combustion Engine

[freebeard]

I drove the SUPERBeetle for the first time in (months?). It turns out that memories of driving Beetles doesn't include Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH). The reality is NVH up the wazoo.

It makes me think that instead of selling it to get an FUV, I could just convert it to an electric. I already have the Lexus drivetrain I was going to put in the 1958 Beetle eventually.

[redpoint5]

Most fun I've ever had was driving a '69 Beetle. My dad mounted a tiny steering wheel, so it felt like a gokart with how low and lightweight it was. I treated the throttle as an on/off switch... even rolled it into a farm field once.

Good thing it was easy to work on, because it required you to work on it.

I'd say go for the conversion as long as you are likely to find the necessary round tuits.

[freebeard]

The lowered Macpherson struts and short tire sidewalls makes for good 'turn-in'.

edit:
I need to think about converting the Dasher as an alternative. Pushing by hand, it rolls easier than the Beetle.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by sendler

VW says it is now developing its last generation of gas, diesel engines

Their present-day engines still retain some features such as bore center distances from previous generations such as the EA827 and EA111, so an announcement like that doesn't really sounds like an end of the ICE at all. In more than 100 years, most of the evolution of the ICE has been concentrated on the cylinder head (including the fuel system and valvetrain) anyway...

[freebeard]

Slashdot today:
MIT Says We're Overlooking a Near-Term Solution To Diesel Trucking Emissions

According to a new paper from MIT researchers, "the best way forward is not to wait for all-electric or hydrogen-powered semis, but to build a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) truck with an internal combustion engine/generator that can burn either gasoline or renewable ethanol or methanol."

[redpoint5]

I've been saying for ages now that hybrid semis made all the sense in the world. You could downsize the engine and possibly reduce the number of required gears (or eliminate the gearbox entirely). Then there'd be no need for an APU or idling trucks when they stop for the night. Safety would be improved by reducing braking on downhill grades and recapturing the energy. Faster acceleration due to instant motor torque.

I just don't know if serial or parallel would be best. Trains use serial, so I'm inclined to think that might be best.

Why we started with the vehicles least benefited from hybrid technology (Honda Insight), I'll never understand. Should have started with an F350 and worked the way down.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I've been saying for ages now that hybrid semis made all the sense in the world. You could downsize the engine and possibly reduce the number of required gears (or eliminate the gearbox entirely). Then there'd be no need for an APU or idling trucks when they stop for the night. Safety would be improved by reducing braking on downhill grades and recapturing the energy. Faster acceleration due to instant motor torque.

I just don't know if serial or parallel would be best. Trains use serial, so I'm inclined to think that might be best.

Why we started with the vehicles least benefited from hybrid technology (Honda Insight), I'll never understand. Should have started with an F350 and worked the way down.

Hybrid have been offered in the past but didn't sell well. Freightliner offered a Hybrid M2 way back in 2008.

https://www.truckinginfo.com/148433/...oduction-model

Customers looking to save on fuel tend to buy natural gas trucks.

[RedDevil]

MIT on hybrid trucks:
Engineers develop concept for hybrid heavy-duty trucks | MIT News

[R]esearchers at MIT have devised a new way of powering these trucks that could drastically curb pollution, increase efficiency, and reduce or even eliminate their net greenhouse gas emissions.

The concept involves using a plug-in hybrid engine system, in which the truck would be primarily powered by batteries, but with a spark ignition engine (instead of a diesel engine). That engine, which would allow the trucks to conveniently travel the same distances as today’s conventional diesel trucks, would be a flex-fuel model that could run on pure gasoline, pure alcohol, or blends of these fuels.

[RedDevil]

Let's face it: Many people could use an EV easily enough for their daily commute, but still think it does not suit them because they don't want to be held up by needing to charge all the time when they take a road trip.

But how bad can that be?
How often do you take a road trip, and what distances do you drive?

Surely you cannot drive 1,000 miles a day? It would kill you.

Unless...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Aq5qI87SrA

Wow.

[redpoint5]

Most I've driven without stopping more than half an hour is 1200 miles. Santa Barbara > Santa Monica > Gresham/Portland > Salem.