Good point Threadkiller, on the high MPG diesels that Europe is crawling with and we just can’t seem to get many of. Ford makes a great economy diesel, unfortunately our wise Gov. sees fit in making sure it’s just not feasible for Ford to provide it to the US market.
I think Compresses Natural Gas (CNG) cars have a role to play and for the same reasons TG gives for Hydrogen. Oil will be front and center in our minds and wallets again; why not put stimulus money and people to work heading that bad reality off at the pass?
All cities have a network of natural gas lines already in place. Most already have some CNG vehicle refueling stations. Many are already running busses on CNG. CNG powered vehicles are ideal for inner city use because they are much cleaner burning. America is awash in natural gas that does not need the dirty processing that crude requires.
Current car and truck models can be converted to CNG use (no need for completely new models or complete retooling) so American car manufacturers could be put to work making these CNG cars ASAP.
Why not plan ahead? Let’s build Nuke plants for electricity (how about the buried ones so we don’t have leak worries)? Burning an assload of natural gas thru turbines to create electricity is a dumb use of a priceless resource.
Let’s use natural gas in cars and trucks in cities where creating refueling stations is viable. With that we will be taking pressure off of crude oil use and price.
America over the past 30 years seems little interested in long term planning, just immediate needs and desires.
Tinfoil hat time….it’s so obvious to so many Americans that if we need to create a bunch of debt to stimulate the economy we should spend it on things that:
1) Provide tons of jobs
2) Are cleaner technology.
3) Create lasting benefits for the American people
4) Leave something of great value to future generations, (not just FIRE economy debt).
5) Result in cheaper energy (eventually).
Why can’t Obama and the string pullers see this? My guess is they couldn’t possibly miss it; they just “want” something else for our future.
