Electronics > Power/Renewable Energy/EV's

Nissan E-Power. The ultimate green washing?

<< < (7/7)

elecdonia:
I'm still driving my 2005 Prius. It continues to be the perfect car for me.

I've had only a few issues with it:
1) One of its NiMH modules failed 5 years ago, lighting up all the warning indicators on the dash like a Christmas tree and putting the car into the "it can barely move with a maximum speed of 25mph" emergency state. I obtained a supply of used NiMH modules and wound up replacing 2 modules in my battery pack. No issues since then. I'm impressed that Toyota's charge/discharge algorithm permits the NiMH cells to have a >10 year life.
2) My catalytic converter was stolen 2 years ago while the car was sitting in my driveway. Because I live in Illinois (not California) I was able to legally install an aftermarket catalytic converter. It works fine. No complaints from the car's engine management system. I also installed a "Cat Shield." This is a large thick aluminum plate attached under the car which makes it very difficult to steal the catalytic converter.

Living in central Illinois (very flat, no hills) and doing most of my driving "in town," I'm still getting an avg. of ~37 miles per US gallon. This is about 2 mpg below what I got with the original factory catalytic converter. I suspect the aftermarket cat contains less catalyst and therefore takes longer to warm up in cold weather (The ICE engine burns a considerable amount of extra fuel to heat up the cat after a cold start).  My car is still fully capable of operating at highway speeds, and at  around 55-60 mph, the fuel consumption rate can still reach 45 miles per US gallon. This is nearly as good as it was when new.


I've considered a Nissan Leaf but I won't buy another car until the old Prius is on it last legs.
   

coppice:

--- Quote from: mtwieg on July 17, 2023, 02:48:55 pm ---In the USA at least, vehicle prices and preferences are incredibly dependent on politics. Easy example is that vehicles classified as "light trucks" have far more lenient emission and safety regulations than standard cars, and can also qualify for massive tax deductions if they're used mostly for "business". Meanwhile actual light-duty trucks like the Kei are illegal to import and drive on public roads (unless they're 25 years or older) due industry lobbies. Hence why average vehicle weight has shot up recently in the US. Nothing to do with free markets, engineering, or energy costs.

--- End quote ---
The entire vehicle industry is driven by legislation. Why are there so many 2 litre vehicles, and why are they actually 1995cc or so? Because tax rules mean if they actually get to 2 litres there will be higher taxes. Almost everything in a car's design is a little about what customers like, and a lot about how to provide something workable within a web of legislation. In many countries much of that is about company cars, and the personal taxes they may or may not incur for the driver. Its decades of layer upon layer of messiness, with very little cleanup of what no longer makes any sense.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page