Diesel News: POST HERE

[R_Lefebvre]

Nice link!

Imperial gallon is ~20% smaller than the US Gallon.

No, it's larger.

Autocar, the esteemed British automotive magazine, recently tested an efficient gas powered small car, a gas/electric hybrid, and three diesel models. The results showed the diesels are more fuel efficient, despite the fact that the diesel vehicles tested are larger, heavier cars with more space inside.

I think the other thing this highlights is the fact that gasoline cars don't come anywhere close to their "rated" milage. Not even close. I don't know what the problem is, but it's a pandemic. They always blame it on this and that. You drive too fast. Too short, not warm. Too many lights. etc. etc.

I used to have the *perfect commute*. Leave my house, drive 1/4 mile out of the neighborhood, Stop and turn right. Drive 1 mile to secondary highway. Stop and turn left. Set cruise control at 50mph, and drive for 30 minutes with no lights, no traffic, only shallow turns. Turn left onto another street without stopping, drive 1/4 mile to the parking lot and stop. It's BETTER than the EPA highway cycle. Yet best I ever got was 34mpg, when the car was rated for 43 or something.

Our new minivan was rated for 30mpg highway. Yeah right. At no single speed can it achieve 30mpg, and the milage gauge is optimistic.

There's something WRONG with the EPA testing. I believe there's less energy in a gallon of pump gas than there is in a gallon of EPA test gas. I dunno.

 

[bobcat charlie]

Imperial vs. U.s. Gallon

One imperial gallon is approximately equal to 1.201 U.S. gallons.

One imperial gallon is exactly 4.54609 litres, whereas one U.S. gallon is exactly 3.7854118 liters.

 

[Pskhaat]

There's something WRONG with the EPA testing. I believe there's less energy in a gallon of pump gas than there is in a gallon of EPA test gas. I dunno.

Likely EPA tests on pure concrete and E0 gasoline. I can prove time and again at least a 30% increase in mileage with E0 vs. E10+ gasoline

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27535

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=398670&postcount=26

 

[haven]

Mike Levine at Pickuptrucks.com points out that diesel fuel prices have reached an 18 month high. The national average is about $3.12 a gallon,
with prices ranging from $3.08 on the Gulf Coast to $3.26 in California.

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp

The spread between diesel and unleaded regular is widening a bit, too. It used to be about 12 cents, now it's closer to 22 cents, or about 8% more for a gallon of diesel.

This trend won't encourage car and truck companies to introduce new diesel powered vehicles.

 

[ersatzknarf]

I saw $3.19 a gallon, this morning :Wow1:

 

[charlieaarons]

Likely EPA tests on pure concrete and E0 gasoline. I can prove time and again at least a 30% increase in mileage with E0 vs. E10+ gasoline

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27535

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=398670&postcount=26

There may be something wrong with your test vehicle.
Ethanol has an octane rating of 130 and should result in a timing advance = increased efficiency, not retardation. Yes it has about 20-25% lower btus/volume than gasoline, but 130% consumption with E10 vs E0 seems to indicate a problem with the test vehicle. The thermodynamics just don't work out (E10 has ~2.5% < E0 btus).

Charlie

 

[haven]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/05/05/audi-introduces-lighter-more-efficient-3-0l-v6-turbodiesel/

VW has not given up on the diesel engine, not by a long shot. The
company just announced an improved version of the 3.0L V6 turbo
diesel that's 55 lbs lighter and 20% more fuel efficient than the V6
model we enjoy today.

The new engine won't appear in US models right away, but it's
expected to arrive here next year. The V6 turbodiesel is currently
used in the Audi Q7 and VW Touareg SUVs, where it's rated at
20 mpg in combined driving. A 20% increase would mean 24 mpg.

 

[haven]

Edmunds Inside Line reports that BMW will expand its use of diesel engines in USA cars next year. The 5 series will receive its first diesel, probably some version of a 6 cylinder engine. The 3 series will likely receive a 4 cylinder diesel to go with the 6 cylinder diesel sold today.

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2010/05/bmw-confirms-5-series-diesel-for-the-us.html

Taking a step back from diesel, Audi announced that the Q5 midsize SUV will be available with the 2.0L TFSI direct injected and turbocharged gasoline engine in 2011. The TFSI engine produces 211 hp and 258 ft-lbs. Compare those figures with the 2.0L VW turbodiesel, which produces 140 hp and 236 ft-lbs in most applications, and it's clear to see why Audi chose the TFSI.

Currently the Q5 is sold with a gasoline 3.2L V6 under the hood. That engine produces 270 hp and 243 ft-lbs, and is rated at 20 mpg in combined driving. The 2.0L TFSI engine should provide similar or improved performance, and better fuel economy.

 

[haven]

Edmunds Inside Line has a brief comparison of the gas engine VW GTI with the diesel powered VW TDI. The TDI suffered from interference by its traction control system (no wheelspin when trying for a fast start), so its zero to 60 times are slower. Otherwise, the vehicles performed in a similar fashion. The TDI was actually faster in the slalom.

The GTI gets a 25 mpg rating in combined driving from the EPA. The TDI, which costs $1300 less than the GTI, is rated at 34 mpg, a 36% improvement.

http://blogs.insideline.com/straigh...lkswagen-golf-tdi-vs-2010-volkswagen-gti.html

It will be interesting to see how the introduction of the new Ford Fiesta will affect sales of high mpg commuter vehicles like the TDI. The Fiesta is a subcompact, a little smaller inside than the TDI. Its 1.6L gas motor is rated at 34 mpg combined, the same as the TDI, and costs between $15,000 and $19,000 depending on equipment. That's a significant savings.

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

There may be something wrong with your test vehicle.
Ethanol has an octane rating of 130 and should result in a timing advance = increased efficiency, not retardation. Yes it has about 20-25% lower btus/volume than gasoline, but 130% consumption with E10 vs E0 seems to indicate a problem with the test vehicle. The thermodynamics just don't work out (E10 has ~2.5% < E0 btus).

Charlie

BTU's and Octane arnt the same..you cant get more power with more octane and LESS btu's...its just not there..

 

[haven]

The EPA and NHTSA were recently ordered to develop fuel economy standards for medium and heavy trucks. The goal is to have economy standards in place for the 2014 model year.

One effect of the new mpg standards may be to encourage manufacturers to bring into service the efficient smaller diesel engines they developed in the last few years. Cummins has new 4.2L V6 and a 5.0L V8 diesel engines designed, but no plans for production. Ford and GM have 4.5L V6 diesels on the shelf. Toyota already sells a 4.5L V8 diesel in other markets.

It seems to me that there's no justification for an engine with 700+ lb-ft of torque in an F250, other than to produce large clouds of tire smoke. I hope the fuel economy regulations lead to the introduction of medium trucks with smaller diesel engine options.

 

[dragogt]

The EPA and NHTSA were recently ordered to develop fuel economy standards for medium and heavy trucks. The goal is to have economy standards in place for the 2014 model year.

One effect of the new mpg standards may be to encourage manufacturers to bring into service the efficient smaller diesel engines they developed in the last few years. Cummins has new 4.2L V6 and a 5.0L V8 diesel engines designed, but no plans for production. Ford and GM have 4.5L V6 diesels on the shelf. Toyota already sells a 4.5L V8 diesel in other markets.

It seems to me that there's no justification for an engine with 700+ lb-ft of torque in an F250, other than to produce large clouds of tire smoke. I hope the fuel economy regulations lead to the introduction of medium trucks with smaller diesel engine options.

How about for people that actually use there truck as truck, and not a car with a bed....

Farmers, Ranchers, and Hotshot drivers all come to mind....

 

[haven]

I agree that there are people who use pickups for towing heavy loads of 16,000 lbs or more. In my experience, they typically drive F350 and F450. The F250, which has single rear wheels, is limited to 12,000 lbs or so.

An F250-class truck with one of those new V6 diesels would have 500 ft-lbs of torque, more than enough for a wide range of towing tasks. The F350 and F450 would still be available with the larger V8 diesels.

 

[Pskhaat]

Ethanol ... should result in a timing advance = increased efficiency, not retardation

It is slower burning but in a vehicle not designed with requisite compression advancing too far and not enough burn time can be less efficient too.

130% consumption with E10 vs E0 seems to indicate a problem ... E10 has ~2.5% < E0 btus

I don't think this is a linear relationship, the change in energy from each fuel has a multiplicative effect in efficiency as well as possibly an ECU that just won't fuel manage with the slower burn with a chamber designed for the output of more volatile gasoline and all the other factors (injection rates, O2 reads, gearing, &c).

 

[fisher205]

I've tried switching back to regular gas from E10 and have no increase in mileage, let alone 30%. My truck a 01 siverado w/5.3 get's 15 to 16 mpg all the time. The variable is driving conditions.

I do notice 2 -3 mpg difference between diesel 1 and 2. We're seeing about a 0.40 cent difference in cost between E10 and diesel here. But for awhile last winter diesel was 0.05 cheaper. While driving through Canada last year diesel was usually about 0.10/liter cheaper than regular. Buying a vehicle based on current fuel prices is probably short sighted. I think we will be seeing better prices on diesel fuel here shortly