Hybrids, Exemption, et al. |
Post Reply | Page <1234 5> |
Author | |
Wagonman
New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
quote: I suggest you check under your hood for your true emissions rating. The Civic hybrid is sold in two versions and if you bought yours here, I seriously doubt you have a SULEV rating. Another thing you need to remember is that the SULEV rating is a California creation and the car is tested when using California CARB gasoline which is much cleaner than the gas here. Unless you are importing California gas and have the Civic with California emission you are not producing 97% less pollution than an "average" car. In fact, if you have the non-California version of the Civic hybrid there are plenty of normal gasoline cars that are cleaner than your car. Honda sells two version of both the Civic and Insight Hybrids. There is only one version of the Prius so people that have them would have a SULEV car, but they aren't running on CARB gas so they wouldn't be 97% cleaner either. |
|
Road Warrior
New Slug Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
quote: If the intent of the CFV exemption was reduce emissions, does that mean when Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel comes on the market in 2006, that I will be able to get a CFV exemption? Or could I get the exemption now if I were exclusively use B100 biodiesel? For those who may not know, biodiesel is made from soybeans or used vegetable oil that is processed to remove the glycerol molecule in the form of glycerin (soap). I can visit my local Chinese restaurant, take their used cooking oil off their hands (so they do not have to pay someone to haul it away) and after filtering out the glycerin, put it in my tank and drive down the road with virtually no emissions...in fact, if you were to smell the fumes coming out of the tailpipe, it would smell like General Tso's chicken or beef and broccoli. Scientists believe carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Neat biodiesel (100% biodiesel) reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 75% over petroleum diesel. Using a blend of 20% biodiesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 15%. Biodiesel also produces fewer particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions (all air pollutants under the Clean Air Act). Since biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines, the renewable fuel can directly replace petroleum products; reducing the country's dependence on imported oil. Just something else to think about. John |
|
dkerley
New Slug Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Yum! General Tso's chicken! [:o)]
Dina |
|
3-For-HOV
New Slug Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
There's an article in Nov or Dec's MONEY magazine about a restaurant owner who converted his truck he bought on eBay to run on used frying oil. Depending on where he gets the oil will determine the smell.
|
|
Wagonman
New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
quote: Hmmm. I think I know who you are. Do you drive a white Teutonic sedan that recently got a new head unit? |
|
Admin
New Slug Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
washingtonpost.com
As Hybrid Cars Multiply, So Do Carpooling Gripes By Steven Ginsberg and Carol Morello Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, January 7, 2005; Page A01 A surge in the number of hybrid vehicles has left carpool lanes nearly as congested as the regular lanes they are intended to relieve, a Virginia transportation task force said yesterday. A detailed study of carpool lanes on Interstate 95 found that the number of hybrids more than tripled between last spring and October. State transportation officials fear that the trend will continue as more hybrids enter the market and more commuters take advantage of an exemption allowing them to ride alone in such vehicles. The findings reflect the sentiments of carpool-lane users, who have inundated state officials with complaints about increased delays and congestion over the past six months. Many blame hybrids. "For every two cars, there's one hybrid," said Cora Seballos, who carpools daily from Springfield to the District. "Since September, usually the regular lanes have less traffic" than the carpool lanes. Seballos said she has to leave home a half-hour earlier because of the increased congestion. On a Web site devoted to slugs, the people who form carpools at set spots so they can use high-occupancy vehicle lanes, the issue has dominated. The forum "Hybrids -- a threat to car pooling?" had drawn more than 11,550 readers at www.slug-lines.com as of yesterday afternoon; only a couple of other forums drew as many as 1,000. Typical was this posting from a user named Viper: "Whether you look at it as an environmental issue or as a congestion issue, the result is the same -- HOV 3 is three times better than HOV 1 for the situation as a whole. The rule NEEDS to change soon." HOV-3 is the state's designation for a lane requiring three occupants. Viper's "HOV 1" is a smack at solo motorists in carpool lanes. The hybrid exemption is scheduled to expire in June 2006, and the HOV task force of Virginia transportation officials and experts urged again in its second report yesterday that state leaders not extend it. In 2003, the task force also recommended instituting severe fines and increased police presence to crack down on HOV violators. Fines were raised to as much as $1,000, enforcement was increased and repeat offenders became subject to moving-violation penalties and points on their licenses. Hybrids use a combination of gas and electric power. Current models get up to 60 miles per gallon and emit considerably smaller amounts of harmful gases than conventional cars. State rules allow owners of the Ford Escape hybrid, Toyota Prius and Honda Civic and Insight to drive solo in carpool lanes. According to the Electric Drive Transportation Association, the Washington area ranks with California as the country's leading markets for hybrids. Several car dealers in Northern Virginia said it's because of the HOV exemption. "I'd say 95 percent of the people who buy a Prius say it's to get into HOV," said Jay Taye, sales manager at Ourisman Fairfax Toyota. "They talk about the tax break and the HOV, and once in a while they say they prefer it for the gas mileage as well." Low-emission vehicles were first allowed to use HOV lanes in 1994 to lessen the region's air pollution, but few drivers took advantage until hybrids were included in 2000. That year, there were 32 cars in all of Virginia with "clean fuel" tags -- a designation necessary for solo commuters to use HOV lanes. By April 2003, that number had grown to 2,500 in Northern Virginia, and by the end of 2004 the region had 6,800 hybrid vehicles registered with "clean special fuel" plates. In March, a traffic count on the HOV lanes of I-95 revealed 480 clean fuel vehicles -- about 8 percent of the cars that used the lanes at the time. By October, that count on I-95 more than tripled, to 1,700, 18 percent of all HOV traffic and enough to fill a single highway lane for an hour. The growth in hybrids has helped increase the number of cars on the lanes to 1,900 an hour, beyond their operating capacity of 1,500 to 1,800 per lane an hour. The HOV lanes are critical to the region's transportation network in part because they allow bus service to run smoothly. If they become chronically congested, slugs and other carpoolers could resume driving themselves, adding thousands of cars to the region's roads. State officials released a letter yesterday from the Federal Highway Administration written in December expressing concern about the proliferation of hybrids in HOV lanes. The letter asked Virginia to increase enforcement and pursue other options to cut down on backups. The hybrid exemption is counter to federal law but has been allowed to continue as Congress debates possible revisions. "In light of this study, I think we have to reevaluate our position," said Del. Brian J. Moran (Alexandria), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, who backed the hybrid provision as recently as May. Some dealers consider the end to the HOV perk an inevitable byproduct of the hybrids' success. "When they first came out, I thought it was a good incentive," said Fernando Lobo, sales manager at Bill Page Honda near Falls Church. "Now everybody's trying to make hybrids. When they sell at volume, I knew that one of these days the HOV lanes wouldn't function anymore as HOV lanes." © 2005 The Washington Post Company |
|
Road Warrior
New Slug Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
quote: Give the man a ceeeeegaaaaaaarrrrrrr and cupie doll!!!! I filled up again at the B20 pump...I got 671 miles out of the 14 gals of B20 in the last tank with lots of stop 'n go traffic. Maybe we can have mini-GTG at the pump one day..[;)] John |
|
eniiler
New Slug Joined: 10 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Dick: I'm a reporter at National Public Radio and would like to talk to you about your hybrid, and your commute. Please call or email
Thanks, Eric Niiler eniiler@comcast.net 301-657-8842 quote: |
|
Max_28756
New Slug Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Location: Va Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I'm sure we all agree that Hybrid cars, regardless of what fuel they use, are a good thing. The issue at hand is they need to carry 3 in the vehicle. If they get better fuel economy in stop and go traffic with the electric motor starting, then they would do all that much better for the environment in the regular lanes. Stop by a commuter lot, pick up some riders and do your part to relieve congestion. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem!
|
|
Wagonman
New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
quote: If you do a report make sure you check under his hood for his true emissions rating before continuing the distribution of misleading info. I'd like to see the facts set straight in the media for once. I'm not trying to call Dick C a liar, his car dealer probably fed him a line of bull. Civic hybrids sold here aren't SULEV rated. http://automobiles.honda.com/models/specifications_full_specs.asp?ModelName=Civic+Hybrid If you read the above link you can see the two different emissions ratings depending on the market the car is sold in. The ones here are ULEV, not SULEV(or the new AT-PZEV). There are a lot of regular cars and SUVs rated ULEV. |
|
Post Reply | Page <1234 5> |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |