Why doesnt the U.S. gov't mandate diesel hybrids?

Question

IF THEY DID,AND PEOPLE USED BIODIESEL WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ALMOST COMPLETELY DO AWAY WITH OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS

Answer 1

Mandating a specific technology isn't a good idea. That'll lock in one technology, while others that may be able to meet or surpass the same goals could be overlooked...

(Currently there aren't any diesel hybrid automobiles available on the market, so mandating such a technology would wipe out all new auto sales in the US until the auto manufacturers could rush something/anything to market that could be called a diesel hybrid...)

Instead of mandating a diesel hybrid, why not raise the CAFE standards, force light trucks to meet the same CAFE requirements as cars (since they're usually bought as such), remove the ethanol CAFE loophole... And then you'd have to make sure such vehicles at minimum meet the current emission requirements (or preferrably the stricter CA emission requirements, which meant that until the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel was introduced that most new diesels couldn't be sold in CA-emission states new because they were too dirty) to keep the clean air standards...

Then you can mandate non-fossil fuels (no petroleum products - gasoline or diesel, LPG, CNG, or coal), but the fuel source would be up to the manufacturer to find the best available solution.

Then again, transportation only accounts for 69% of the US's petroleum fuel use, and a mere 3% of the US's natural gas use, so even if all vehicles in the US were switched to a non-fossil fuel, there would still be fossil fuel use in the US for other market segments (mainly industrial use, but also residential (like home heating), and for electric generation).
http://www.eia.doe.gov/basics/energybasics101.html

Answer 2

Well because diesels are expensive. And hybrids are even more expensive. If you were to "mandate" diesel hybrids the price of your Chevy Cobalt would go from $15,000 to $25,000. Larger vehicles would see an even bigger jump in price. It just wouldn't work.

Also diesels are very dirty. They have less strict emission regulations that gasoline engines, but even so there are some states where no diesel can be sold because there aren't any clean enough to meet the regulations.

The higher the emission regulation, the lower the efficiency. If all emission regulations were removed we would see a 20-40% increase in efficiency. And no I'm not suggestion that what should be done. I'm just making a point.

Answer 3

Not a bad idea, but where does that much biodiesel come from?

I love diesels. Wish more were offered. I believe a small diesel can just about be as efficient as a hybrid at much less cost.

Answer 4

I think that you are totally right.

The production of biodiesel is not only more efficient... the diesel engine itself due to the higher compression is around 20% more efficient. Diesel motors are especially suited for smooth driving on long distances where soot emissions matter less (=outside urban centers).

As such, diesel vehicles would be more suited to the US than they are to Europe.

Using just regular advanced diesels (not even hybrids, just direct injection) you could massivly introduce cars with over 50MPG and reduce to zero the oil imported from the middle east.

Answer 5

Lets see, can you be prosecuted for failing to feed your children ? Yes. Is it constitutional ? Yes. Can you be mandated to NOT take substances into your Body the government deems harmful ? Yes, looks like it can be mandated. Is that constitutional ? BIG Yup to that. How about this, if you show up in need of medical care and don't have insurance, you get put on the pile of bodies out back. If you can't afford it, you get Medicare/Medicaid If you just refuse to buy it, you takes your chances. Yeah ! Lets have Dickens' London turn of the century all over America !!!

Answer 6

Ok, what about the millions of cars that run on gasoline, just throw them away? We will be dependent on fossil fuels until we run out and HAVE to find something else. Our technology right now isn't good enough to find alternatives to things that we have already. stay in school.

Answer 7

Diesel motors are great under load ,but when u stop at the light they will almost shake them selves apart.

Answer 8

Move to china or france. Our government has no constitutional authority to be mandating anything. What you are proposing is a silly dream. It would never happen.