58 MPG by 2032

[dodge man]

Tuned exhaust equals no muffler or a stack behind the cab. This also means incredibly annoying. I had a 2004 Dodge with a Cummins and no muffler. It did sound like a semi. I got exhaust on it pretty quick because it was obnoxious.

 

[Bentrim]

Enjoy your freedom while it lasts. The government is regulating you choice of what you can buy or own. They believe that man has caused climate change and that it can be controlled by throwing money at it, which means new taxes, and limiting your choices of which car, stove, toilet, and dishwasher you can buy.
They are for controlling you while they purchase carbon credits so then can do as they please.
No fossil fuel for you, just electric (generated by fossil fuel) and then unimaginable electric rates.
You don't see Washington DC covered with solar panels and wind mills, but you are supposed to depend on them.
Of course on of their goals is zero carbon. No carbon dioxide, no green plants, no animals, no people. Even then climate will still change.

Oh by they way I need help designing an Egen. When the power goes out just plug it in and you can generate electric power. How many fools would fall for an Egen??

 

[nickfank]

Enjoy your freedom while it lasts...
No fossil fuel for you

Nobody is forcing me to put solar panels on my barn so I'm not completely dependent on the global companies that control fossil fuel resources. That's simply a rational decision for anyone who values independence. Nobody is forcing me to choose a power source that costs me half as much. That's a rational decision for a person who doesn't want to waste his money.

By all means, make your own decisions, but please take off the blinders long enough to realize that choosing to depend solely on a resource that someone else controls is the opposite of freedom.

 

[nickfank]

What does tuned semi exhaust sound like? Been in the diesel community for many years and would like to learn about semi exhaust tuning.

Try listening to a fleet truck with basic exhaust and compare the sound to a consumer pickup truck. It's obvious. (It helps that I'm old enough that I drove diesel pickups back in the early 80s, when the point of a muffler was to make them quiet.)

 

[WinterDeere]

One rational, and in no way political, concern of mine is scale of economy. As more people gain partial energy independence through solar, and more reduce their consumption through those terrible looking LED's, I do expect the cost of electricity for those remaining at current usage patterns will have to go up. Economy of scale works in all regards.

I live in a picturesque old house, the value of which is very strongly tied to its curb appeal. So, solar panels on our raised seam or cedar shingled roofs are an absolute "no go" here, not only for the cosmetic issue, but because our only southern-facing roof is shaded by large deciduous trees (as was the norm in old houses in this area). We also have unique lighting that mostly precludes conversion to LED, even if that tech is nearing a point where they don't look as terrible as they once did.

Don't get me started on still heating the place with an oil-fired boiler. No nat.gas in our neighborhood, and the place isn't suited to be ducted for a heat pump, we're pretty well stuck with a hydronic-based solution.

 

[WinterDeere]

Try listening to a fleet truck with basic exhaust and compare the sound to a consumer pickup truck. It's obvious. (It helps that I'm old enough that I drove diesel pickups back in the early 80s, when the point of a muffler was to make them quiet.)

An aside, but any time I see one of these idiots with smoke stacks in the bed of their pickup, all I can think of is toddlers in Osh Kosh B'Gosh overalls with a toy tool belt, pretending they're working alongside dad. Whatever their purpose, it looks to the rest of the world like Peter Pan Syndrome, wanting to pretend their pickup is a big rig.

I guess they must not actually use the bed of the pickup for hauling material, if they're willing to give up that sort of space to a pair of chrome stacks?

 

[Deleted member 371759]

Try listening to a fleet truck with basic exhaust and compare the sound to a consumer pickup truck. It's obvious. (It helps that I'm old enough that I drove diesel pickups back in the early 80s, when the point of a muffler was to make them quiet.)

Dang kids and their 700hp turbo diesels. We definately have way too much freedom. Need to get back to the days of 110HP diesels.

 

[nickfank]

One rational, and in no way political, concern of mine is scale of economy. As more people gain partial energy independence through solar, and more reduce their consumption through those terrible looking LED's, I do expect the cost of electricity for those remaining at current usage patterns will have to go up. Economy of scale works in all regards.

Yeah, I can see and understand that concern, but I'm not really worried. In the cities, there's simply not enough roof space, so all of the major population centers will remain dependent on the grid and utility-scale power generation.

Additionally, anyone who has driven an EV knows they will inevitably dominate the market simply because they are a better product. (Many will disagree with me about that, and I can predict with certainty that those who disagree most loudly will turn out to have no experience with EVs.) That means demand for electricity is likely to increase rather than decrease. The increase will be mostly in off-peak times, so initially it won't require scaling up production or beefing up the grid, but eventually demand will outstrip supply in urban & suburban areas.

If more of the grid electricity comes from utility-scale solar farms or windmills, that will simply lower the cost, because solar and wind are already cheaper than any fossil fuel. Hydro is still cheapest. Nuclear is more expensive, but probably necessary because the sun doesn't shine at night and sometimes the wind stop blowing.

 

[Deleted member 371759]

Yeah, I can see that concern, but I'm not really worried. In the cities, there's simply not enough roof space, so all of the major population centers will remain dependent on the grid. Additionally, anyone who has driven an EV knows they are inevitable simply because they are nicer. That means demand for electricity is likely to increase rather than decrease.

If they are inevitable due to their superiority there would not be a massive governmental regulations to mandate them. Consumers would naturally make the change. Thats how capitalism works or we would still be riding horses to work. Reeeeee they are nicer, NOW BUY THEM. or else. If you want a smart car buy it I prefer a car that not monitored by microsoft, local government, state governmenr, federal government, corporations, hackers, CIA,FBI, Google, BIng, HP. Enjoy your electric car they can turn off as soon as you say or do the wrong thing.

 

[nickfank]

Dang kids and their 700hp turbo diesels. We definately have way too much freedom. Need to get back to the days of 110HP diesels.

Chuckle! Yep, you caught me being a curmudgeon. I plead guilty your honor.

I also plead rational though. Most of the wannabe semis are driven by commuters or weekend warriors who wish they did something more interesting for a living, but couldn't afford to buy that truck on a blue collar wage.