Walmart Concept Truck, Hey Mike W. got one of these?

[Deleted member 995608]

They can't ween us off the Petro too much, we are making billionaires out of too many people.

I think this is part of it. Until the government can find a legal way to tax us per miles driven, we won't be driving full battery trucks anytime soon.

 

[mwilson]

Mwilson, I'm gonna respectfully disagree. There has been quiet a bit of improvements in diesel engine efficiency over the years. A lot of that is from the electronic control of the engines which was basically mandated to meet emissions (driven by the epa) However, it is well documented that emissions equipment and design (ie EGR) is detrimental to efficiency and reliability. Competitive market forces and cost would drive more efficiency engines and we would probably still have CR engines without the epa. But without the epa we would see much better mileage with current engines with much better reliability. And let's not forget that there is added cost of modern engines in DEF, engine cost, maintenance, etc that offsets those fuel mileage improvements. I will concede that the epa has forced the technology to "improve" faster than the free market would have done. But I general I do not think the epa has helped any aspect of diesel engine design or operation.

Nobody feels the pain of the EPA worse than we do at our dealerships. We are on the front lines trying to keep up with tech training, parts support and software required to keep the trucks running and the check engine lights off.
BUT, when a tractor can be specced with an underslung exhaust because smoke is a non-issue now the free market would not have us to that point yet all by itself.

I've said it before on here ----we are at the point with these diesel powered vehicles that we all lived thru in the late '70s and early '80s with gasoline powered stuff. "Lean Burn", "Catalytic Converters", "Unleaded Fuel" were curse words not too long ago. Now we have fairly problem free, powerful, clean, and reliable cars that now routinely go hundreds of thousands of miles instead of thousands of miles before needing an overhaul. They cost more but most last longer.
I can remember when 100,000 miles was the exception in life expectancy for a gasoline powered vehicle.

We will get to that same point with the Diesels as well and the current issues will be talked about just like the "Lean Burn" systems in the past.

Change happens as a result of government regulations and customer demands. If not for those things progress would be damn slow.

JMHO.

Mike.

 

[DonFitzwater]

Isn't that sort a kind a what the Diesel Hybrid is about?

What diesel hybrid? Read about a few maybes from eurotrash companies but not much else?

 

[crispyboy]

We will get to that same point with the Diesels as well and the current issues will be talked about just like the "Lean Burn" systems in the past.

JMHO.

Mike.

Mike,
What kind of problems did the "Lean Burn" system have?
My mother had a 1977 Chrysler Newport, 400 CID, paisley green seats etc.... I remember it being a trouble free car except for the factory undersized radiator. We fixed that with a 3 core replacement radiator.

 

[mwilson]

Mike,
What kind of problems did the "Lean Burn" system have?
My mother had a 1977 Chrysler Newport, 400 CID, paisley green seats etc.... I remember it being a trouble free car except for the factory undersized radiator. We fixed that with a 3 core replacement radiator.

She was one of the lucky ones....the system was despised up here. If it stayed working correctly not a big deal. But when it screwed up it was nasty.

I found this for you from Allpar....http://www.allpar.com/mopar/lean-burn.html

I had a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba (with Corinthian Leather)...318 power, no Lean Burn. It's nasty habit was plugging the EGR passages in the intake manifold (sound familier, EGR issues with a new system anyone?) and would be almost undriveable. Had to find an earlier intake manifold finally and change it out.

Now EGR systems on gasoline engines give very little trouble other than occasional failures of the solenoid. That is easily diagnosed with a scan tool nowadays.

Mike.

 

[BIGNASTY]

What diesel hybrid? Read about a few maybes from eurotrash companies but not much else?

http://gas2.org/2013/11/09/la-2013-volkswagen-announces-256-mpg-diesel-hybrid/

http://www.hino.com/coe/story_922.php

google Diesel Hybird there's lots of people planning on getting into the field and by the sounds of it Pretty soon, and some already in it, most are eurotrash as you call them with OUR economy R and D gets a little pricey so they make what sells, until they get on their feet. Have seen several Nissan Leaf full elect. cars around town, not for long distance but great for the older folks that don't drive that far and two of the school teachers have them, they seem to do alright. I think that diesel will come around even with the afterburner exhauset, Like Mike said in another post its going to take some time to work the bugs out, BUT NOT ON MY WALLET THEY AIN'T. Buddy has a few macks $7,000 for a frigging exhaust FILTER replacement!!!!!

And Im going to jump into a 4th gen :-laf