F. George McDuffee wrote:

A continuation of the engine thread -- 60 new engines and
transmissions?????????

(1) How does introducing a new engine improve fuel
economy/emissions?

I think Ed pointed out some interesting engine designs recently.

Soon heavy truck will be using engines with urea injection systems. That little, cough,
change will drive up the price of heavy trucks a sizable bit more.

I'm pretty coy about who for and where I work. I need to keep working. But let me tell
you, regulations on diesel emissons have a greater effect on our business than our
currently crashing economy. Having your business go up and down depending on regulation
changes, engine prebuys, and all that crap really puts a strain on everyone in the
manufacturing sector.


(2) What new principals of physics have been discovered that
required new engine design?

This is driven by regulation. The makers are trying to eek out as much as they can.


(3) What new production techniques such as ultra thin wall
casting or new materials have been developed that justify new
engine designs?

This is driven by regulation. See above.

(4) How much of this cost is the taxpayer going to pick up
through corporate R&D deductions? As a follow-on, how many new
jobs will be generated in the US to manufacture these new engines
and transmissions?

GM likely too much. Ford, likely on their dime. I sure hope Ford has a econo box that
gets good gas mileage that can tow 1000# by the time my Saturn SL1 dies. 192,000 and
rusting. I'd really hate buying a Toyota or Kia. I'm only interested in transportation
that gets me there relibily at low cost. Living in Michigan, that means it has to last 10
years before it rusts away. I envy those California and Arizona types. I could keep a
car going for the rest of my life if the body didn't waste away.

Now let me pose a question. Considering the continously lowering of our standard of
living, how much more regulation and additional cost, can we afford to support in our
vehicle purchases?

Wes

--

Regulation, just another form of taxation.





Wes

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:21:57 -0500, Wes wrote:
snip
Now let me pose a question. Considering the continously lowering of our standard of
living, how much more regulation and additional cost, can we afford to support in our
vehicle purchases?
snip
There appear to be two parallel questions:

(1) The one you asked "how much more regulation and additional
cost, can we afford to support..."

The problem here is that we can't tell because the cost:benefit
data is unavailable, incomplete or hidden. I have significant
suspicion that we have gone far beyond the point of diminishing
returns in many areas and that many of the programs have taken on
a life of their own, and/or the programs are acting as band-aids
for more systemic problems such as the over concentration of
people/industry in a few [very] small areas such as the LA basin
and the isle of Manhattan that would be more logically addressed
by other regulations.

and

(2) "how much more regulation and additional cost, will we
tolerate."

FWIW -- it appears that many of the changes are due to some MBAs
"wild hair" and have little to do with actual governmental
regulation. One example is the proliferation of air and oil
filters. In this particular case, a governmental regulation
banning the introduction of new automotive oil and air filters
and requiring the use of an existing filter [that could be
upgraded to meet new requirements but must remain backward
compatible, e.g. anti drainback valve] would result in a cost
savings to the end user and a stabilization if not reduction in
inventories.


Unka George (George McDuffee)
...............................
The past is a foreign country;
they do things differently there.
L. P. Hartley (1895-1972), British author.
The Go-Between, Prologue (1953).