Stop-start cars
Stop-start cars
(OP)
Quote:
The facts are these. There is a ?nite supply of fossil fuel left and, in broad terms, consuming it is going to create the same amount of pollution. It doesn't matter whether I drive the Bentley and use it all up tomorrow, or drive something that conks out temporarily at every junction and eke it out for another few years. Conserving energy is ultimately fruitless and, more to the point, completely at loggerheads with the demands of a progressive world.
Taken from an article in tlast weekend's Telegraph: htt
I know columnists are supposed to go against the flow and stir up discussions, but I've never heard this argument put forward before.
Also related to the article, would anyone in this forum really feel secure driving a stop-start car?





RE: Stop-start cars
With reasoning like that of the columnist, what good is anything?
Many hybrids are start-stop but some must feel more "natural" than others. Perhaps it just takes getting used to.
From one point of view, everything we do is a miracle, from another, everything is a waste. Find a spot you are comfortable with and try to hang on to it.
RE: Stop-start cars
And regarding this article: One can argue that a substantial amount of ethanol and Biodiesel is already being burnt and this adds to the polution as well. If we would conserve fossil fuels and prices would be as low as they were 40 years ago, hardly anyone would buy ethanol or Biodiesel in the first place.
In addition, one can also argue, if we pollute less now at least the current population will deal with less pollution problems and we simply have future generations deal with it.
RE: Stop-start cars
His argument is a bit silly. Oil is not going to 'run out' -it will get more expensive which will encourage the capital investments needed to bring the many existing alternatives on-line.
Conserving oil, and energy, is not fruitless. Given the option of wasting a resource, or not, then only a perverse child would waste the resource. Now it may be that your idea of what constitutes waste, and mine, differ, that is fine, but just burning it up for no good reason is not.
So James May, grow up, and buy a decent car.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Stop-start cars
RE: Stop-start cars
The next paragraph in the article is: Which makes the preceeding paragraph sound a lot less like it's coming from someone suggesting we all play the fiddle while Rome is burning...
RE: Stop-start cars
How much effort will it take to develop and use the Next Big Thing? A lot. How much oil will it save? a lot.
Seems to me the rewards are roughly proportional to the effort, and one of those two is a sure thing.
I could even go further and suggest that Marketing probably paid for the Stop&Start feature.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Stop-start cars
Anybody doing a lot of stop-start jouneys who really wanted to save fuel would use their car less. Fuel economy should really be measured in units of volume/time rather than volume/distance. My car gets through about 25 litres per week.
RE: Stop-start cars