New Car Runs on Lettuce

Vaughn McMillan

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen announced the upcoming release of their latest entry into the eco-friendly automotive market. Running on lettuce and other green waste, the new Volkswagen Schildkröte is expected to revolutionize the concept of 'green transportation'. "Imagine using that leftover bag of salad, or last weekend's grass clippings, to provide fuel for your car." said Volkswagen spokesman Bergen "Bugs" Kaninchen at a recent news conference. "While not the fastest car we have ever made, the Schildkröte is by far the steadiest and most reliable automobile produced anywhere, by anyone", he added.

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I had 2 VW Rabbits in highschool and college....I bet I could have beat this car in a race....at least out of the starting block. Then again, I would probably just start screwing around and he would win in the end. :rofl::D :rofl:

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I had an '81 Rabbit diesel for several years - 45 mpg and it would beat almost anything on the expressway. I was sorry when my son rolled it!!!

This is how foolish my State is. They actually outlaw small vehicles like mini-pickups and small cars that have diesel engines in them. You would think in a state where everyone commutes long distances (40 miles one way for me) they would promote such cars.
 
Why would Maine outlaw small vehicles with diesels, what was reason? :huh:


Born in Bangor :) former maineiac :bonkers:
 
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It isn't just Maine. I thought it was the entire USA.

Note that the Mercedes Smart car, which is a diesel, is imported into Canada, but is NOT imported into the US. They are all over the place here in Canada. Maybe not millions and millions, but certainly plenty. My local city, for instance, is using them for city-owned cars that bylaw officers (and others) use to get around London.

About 2 years ago I knew a fellow who bought one. Then about 6 months later he moved to the states... Baltimore as I recall. And he was flat out told that they would not license the car. He had to bring it back to Canada to sell it. :huh:

Makes no sense to us. Sure, diesel is a "dirty" fuel, but these cars emit far less of the dirt than all those umpteen bazillion trucks on both our nations highways and biways. Try outlawing those trucks and see what happens. :rofl: But they outlaw cars that get far far better MPG than trucks. :dunno:

...art

ps: are other diesel cars allowed in the US? Like the VW Beetle or Golf or Passat?
 
Art, they were at one time....I remember my friends dad had a diesal mercedes when I was young and like nancy said she had a diesal vw rabbit. I have a friend that sells VW locally here. I'll try to remember to ask him.
 
Just for your information, Smart will be introduced into the US this year, see below a section from the news letter I receive.

Dear smart Enthusiast,

As you know, the smart fortwo will make its much anticipated debut in the United States in early 2008. As the excitement continues to build, you can get one step closer to purchasing your very own 2008 fortwo. Because you signed up as a smart “insider”, we would like to reward your dedication and continued interest in the smart brand with an exciting and exclusive opportunity.

Heather :wave:
 
I don't know about other states, but NM is FULL of diesel vehicles, mostly large pick-ups, but I've also seen some Mercedes and VW diesels on the road. We had two of them in Virginia (one was a Volvo), and moved one of them here to NM with us. Never a problem with registration.
 
Those ittsy, bitsy, teensy, weenie cars don't look so smart to be riding in. IMHO.
Envision, this: a highway encounter with a 3/4 ton pick-em up. Unlikely you would even be able to find the remains if the 'Smart' car or it's passengers. :(
 
Frank, I saw an interesting piece on TV some time back showing tests that were done with the Smart car hitting a concrete barrier at highway speed. The car pretty much disintegrated, but the passenger compartment stayed viable. Based on the crash test dummy data, they were estimating injuries to the occupants, but not necessarily death. That said, I still wouldn't want to be in one on the highway. I've seen several Smart cars (gasoline, not diesel) around LA for the past year or so, but I don't anticipate getting one for myself anytime soon.

And Art, there are diesel passenger cars all over the US. Maine is the only state I've heard of that does not allow them. (And I haven't seen a source to confirm that.)

Here in LA I'm seeing more and more cars running on veggie oil. There's at least one shop that specialized in buying used older Mercedes diesel sedans and converting them to run on waste vegetable oil. I was behind one in traffic a while back, and the exhaust really did smell like french fries.
 
Those ittsy, bitsy, teensy, weenie cars don't look so smart to be riding in. IMHO.
Envision, this: a highway encounter with a 3/4 ton pick-em up. Unlikely you would even be able to find the remains if the 'Smart' car or it's passengers. :(

Frank,

Most times I ride a bicycle, sometimes I ride a motorcycle, actually the Smart Car is very intelligent. I would advise you to view the infofmation at the Smart site, this is a well engineered car, both for the passengers and the enviornment.

Heather
 
There is a Smart Car in this area of Wisconsin. LOML says it belongs to the Ho-Chunk tribe [she's Ho-Chunk] but I'm pretty sure it's not the diesel version.

We have a few diesel cars in the area. Diesel P/U's are more pronounced, but even at that there aren't that many. Of course with diesel fuel at least eighty cents per gallon more than regular gas, I can understand why. I do believe our gov't is doing everything they can to make diesels impractical except to over the road trucks. They [trucking companies] can just pass the cost of the fuel on to us, the consumer.

I think with the '08 models all diesel engines have to adhere to much stricter pollution standards also.

Personally I wish I had some choices in diesel vehicles. I had one of the infamous GM diesels back in the early 80's. I had some problems with it, but regularly got 23 MPG in the city. We lived in SoCal at the time. We would get 30+ MPG on the highway and once got 42 MPG on a round trip to Vegas. This was not a small car. It was a Caprice Classic Station Wagon. And that's when diesel fuel was cheaper than regular gas.

Is diesel cheaper than gas up your area Art?

Karl
 
We’ve heard a lot from our oe department that diesels are coming to the US.

Here’s an excerpt on VW:

In spring 2008 Volkswagen will launch one of the world's cleanest diesel engines – the CleanTDI – in the USA. The new Common Rail engine is capable of 103 kW / 140 hp and will celebrate its premiere in the Jetta, America's most successful diesel vehicle. The new Golf will also be launched as CleanTDI on the American market in 2000. Background: California and the four states of Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Maine have the strictest emissions values in the USA. The new Jetta CleanTDI and the Golf Variant CleanTDI will be able to fulfill these values as two of the first diesel vehicles.

To be able to meet these strict US standards, Volkswagen has also developed two emissions purification systems especially for the USA. The so-called NOx storage catalytic converter is in the Jetta and Golf Variant CleanTDI. A key element here is a considerable reduction in nitrogen oxides which Volkswagen achieves with measures inside the engine and new converter technologies. Result: up to 90 per cent less nitrogen oxides (NOx).

For the larger and heavier model series, there is the so-called SCR catalytic converter (SCR = Selective Catalytic Reduction). This will also make its debut, still in 2008, in the Touareg. A liquid called AdBlue which is in an additional tank plays a key role here. This is continually injected via a dosing valve in front of the SCR catalytic converter into the exhaust tract. NOx values decrease significantly also here – by up to 90%.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/08/volkswagen-launching-diesel-offensive/

Here is an excerpt on Honda:

Honda to Introduce Diesel Passenger Vehicles in Japan by 2009
12 June 2007
The Nikkei reports that Honda Motor will introduce its advanced diesel engine in passenger vehicles in Japan by 2009, marking a first for a Japanese automaker.

Honda has developed an advanced emissions aftertreatment system that will allow it to meet stringent US Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards without the use of urea-based SCR. (Earlier post.) Honda has decided to release diesel vehicles that use this engine simultaneously in Japan and the US in 2009, and possibly as early as in 200, according to the Nikkei. The clean engine is to be phased into such mainline models as its CR-V and Accord.

To promote the use of clean diesel engines, the Japanese government is considering tax breaks on car purchases similar to those available for hybrids, which reduce the tax from 5% to 3%.

Nissan plans to introduce a Tier 2 Bin 5 diesel Maxima co-developed with French partner Renault in the US in 2010, with plans to introduce it in Japan later.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/06/honda_to_introd.html

Look for considerable options in the 2009 and 2010 models.

http://www.dieselforum.org/where-is-diesel/cars-trucks-suvs/other-diesel-vehicles-coming-soon/



Randy
 
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