jerryfreak
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2004
- Location
- Nor Cal
- TDI
- 02 Jetta GLS sedan @295K, 99 Jetta sedan 275k,. 2015 tdi sedan, 105k
is this the same version of the EA288s in the US?
Volkswagen exec reaffirms commitment to diesel: ‘Now it is absolutely clean’
- Thread starter TDIMeister
- Start date
vwxyzero
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2004
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- TDI
- '96 Passat Sedan, '96 TDI Passat Wagon, & Jetta Sedan, '83 Turbodiesel (IDI)
Donno, maybe you could go back to the original Tweet on Twitter that this whole article is based on and try to figure out what's up with that particular VW executive:
https://twitter.com/vwschweiz/status/1159736071497740288?s=19
But you might need to brush up on your German for all the backlash to that Tweet from the German regulatory body of tweeps. [emoji854]
Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
Last edited:
bizzle
Veteran Member
Your situation seems like a perfect candidate to score a sub $15K loaded eGolf and then renting a car for those out of town trips.
It's less obvious when the vehicles already owned are fully paid for, but it's worth checking if something like that pencils out (if curious, no point if that's not the only reason).
dslman
Veteran Member
Ha ha ha ha!
I'm sorry, but this made me laugh! I was just thinking what happens if nobody buys all these electric vehicles? I can see the headlines a few years from now " Electric car/truck sales much lower than predicted ... After all those billions of dollars invested!
I believe Electric would completely take over in a heartbeat if they could get rid of the batteries all together & power them some other way, such as Thorium.
Batteries are HEAVY, messy, Expensive, Wear out, get HOT, have too short a range & still cost a fortune. What happens to your 300 mile range when you have to pull a trailer? You loose almost 1/3 so 300 miles of range becomes only 100 miles of range pulling a trailer.Watch This Video
.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
I've been saying for a while that I believe EV sales are at, or near, peak. Cost, practicality, and drivers' resistance to try new things will keep them in a niche, if that. Low fuel prices aren't helping, either, nor are companies trying to sell sedans to a market that's almost totally abandoned cars for SUVs and trucks.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.
Hwycruiser
Well-known member
I have also heard that there is not enough natural resources on our planet to make enough batteries for everyone to drive an electric vehicle.
jackbombay
Top Post Dawg
Of the 8 billion people on the planet only a billion or so can afford a new car, so we don't need to worry about making enough for everyone on the planet, right?
vwxyzero
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2004
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- TDI
- '96 Passat Sedan, '96 TDI Passat Wagon, & Jetta Sedan, '83 Turbodiesel (IDI)
kjclow
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2003
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
- TDI
- 2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
That would be based on today's battery technology. Many companies are working on lighter weight, faster charging, and longer use batteries. What weighs a 1000 pounds (just a number) today may weigh less than 100 pounds tomorrow. Just look at lead acid batteries compared to lithium.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
We've been hearing that for a long, long time. Just saying.
I was reading the current Car & Driver last night and observed that of all the vehicles tested (Mercedes AMG, new Explorer ST, Silverado Diesel, Land Rover Evoque, Mercedes GL, Porsche 911) got actual FE right around 20 MPG. In a recent comparison test of mid-sized SUVS (BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes GLE), and they all got FE in the low teens in their test.
My point? Most of these cars (and trucks) sell well, indicating that this kind of FE is totally acceptable in the current environment. Not to people here, but we're not the mainstream. This is why diesels and EVs have an uphill battle.
turbobrick240
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
- Location
- maine
- TDI
- 2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
The battery tech is advancing at an incredible pace. It wasn't very long ago that my cordless tools all had bulky, heavy NiCad batteries for instance. I agree that efficient vehicles can be somewhat of a tough sell when fuel at the pumps is so cheap. A carbon tax could help level the playing field.
jackbombay
Top Post Dawg
And for those vehicle purchasers "Totally acceptable" is based largely on their willingness to pay the fuel bill, there is zero inherent correlation between "Sells well" and "environmentally friendly".
BeetleGo
TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Maxwell batteries. 
vwxyzero
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2004
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- TDI
- '96 Passat Sedan, '96 TDI Passat Wagon, & Jetta Sedan, '83 Turbodiesel (IDI)
Smart battery management is already here. [emoji41]Maxwell batteries.
Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
This has always been my observation, too. Going from mostly 35 MPG cars to 50 MPG cars and/or EVs isn't a huge step. But we (Americans at large, not necessarily present company) are just fine with 15 MPG. And I tell you first hand, since we (our shop) run a small used car finder/broker deal (boss' extra little deal) and the number of pump suckers people ask about and buy is astounding. Also, stuff that you really wouldn't think would be so thirsty, is... like an AWD CRV (automatic, of course). Down into the teens around town. That is nuts.
kjclow
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2003
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
- TDI
- 2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
That was part of the reason we traded our 07 or 08 CR-V for the Golf. It wasn't AWD but still got mid to upper teens around town.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
One of the cars I mentioned is the BMW X2. Truly a small car, reviewers have described it as being like a tall GTI. But weighing 3,800 lbs, 20" wheels, and getting 300 HP from a 2 liter engine takes its toll. 20 MPG, on 93 octane.
Friend of mine's wife drives a Mini Clubman. Automatic, AWD. 16 MPG in town.
jackbombay
Top Post Dawg
That is essentially a mobile heat generator that produces movement as an accidental byproduct.Mini Clubman. Automatic, AWD. 16 MPG in town.
Matt-98AHU
Loose Nut Behind the Wheel Vendor
Very true. The only time they started to decline was when fuel prices remained high for awhile... Prices have been just low enough for long enough that people can seemingly justify the poor fuel economy again so they can have their large trucks and SUVs. That and credit has once again become easy to come by and the economy isn't in total shambles.
What EV does have going for it is the lack of maintenance. If they can get more range and much faster recharge times or otherwise make EVs more convenient and affordable, the lack of maintenance costs could push a number of people towards favoring them a lot like how Japanese cars first became popular in the U.S., partly for fuel economy but also due to the reputation for reliability and longevity.
Once there's a tipping point and a wide availability of good EVs on the used market along with the convenience factor being addressed, we may very well start to see a shift that favors EVs en masse.
When that might happen is a big guessing game, could be another decade. Of course if most governments have their way, no one would be able to buy an internal combustion anything after 2030 or so...
casioqv
Veteran Member
After driving around an EV for a while you notice that ICE cars are a big pile of seething greasy metal rapidly grinding themselves to dust. It's amazing how far they've come in terms of maintenance and reliability but they're still a huge pain for people that just want to get to work.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
That's a bit of an overstatement. I own several cars that are more than 15 years old, and two that are well over 20 years old. They all work fine. And EVs, by definition, are unlikely to ever accumulate the miles that an ICE car will.
I'll preempt you mentioning the Tesloop cars, those are an exception. And back in the 90s if you talked to black car drivers in NYC, the Lincoln Town Cars they drove lasted really well, many to over 400K miles. Biggest single reason is they were never stationary.
I'll preempt you mentioning the Tesloop cars, those are an exception. And back in the 90s if you talked to black car drivers in NYC, the Lincoln Town Cars they drove lasted really well, many to over 400K miles. Biggest single reason is they were never stationary.
turbobrick240
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
- Location
- maine
- TDI
- 2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Taxi miles are hard miles on vehicles. The ford panther just happens to be an extremely robust platform. The NYC prius taxi fleets do quite well too. The Tesloop cars have gotten the EV torture test of all supercharger charging. That sort of punishing charging arrangement is very much out of the norm.
IndigoBlueWagon
TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Actually, what I've read is the charging regime they used for the Tesloop cars was gentle on battery life. Rarely fully depleted, rarely fully charged. My daughter lived in San Diego for a year and was a big Tesloop user between SD and LA. Used to buy tickets on Groupon for cheap.
turbobrick240
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
- Location
- maine
- TDI
- 2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
I would hope they were rarely fully depleted! I would not be impressed if the driver told me I had to get out and walk. Most EV owners know to keep the state of charge between 20-80% as much as practicable. There's a couple views on how damaging it is to rely solely on superchargers for power, but I would avoid it.
jackbombay
Top Post Dawg
Why are the high mileage Tesloop cars not to be considered in a discussion about vehicle longevity?
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
I maintain a certain Jetta TDI that has over 400k miles, and I would argue not only has it held up FAR better than any Panther Ford in that time period, it has done so with using about a third the fuel.
Most all the old cabs have had engines, transmissions, rear ends, and countless steering and suspension components replaced. Not to mentions PILES of brakes. Dozenspeed's Jetta has needed none of that. And that car STILL feels solid.
But he clearly doesn't neglect nor abuse that car either.
Most all the old cabs have had engines, transmissions, rear ends, and countless steering and suspension components replaced. Not to mentions PILES of brakes. Dozenspeed's Jetta has needed none of that. And that car STILL feels solid.
But he clearly doesn't neglect nor abuse that car either.
turbobrick240
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2014
- Location
- maine
- TDI
- 2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Well, good maintenance does wonders for a vehicle. Like Irv Gordon's 5? million mile Volvo. There's nothing magical about that car, though it is very cool. He just followed the factory service schedule and otherwise took exceptionally good care of it.
redbarron55
Veteran Member
As Volvo helped pick up the tab for the work that helps as well.
If you read the instruction manual for the Volvo, decarburizing the cylinder head a every year or so and inspecting the bearings and replacing as necessary helps. If you follow the manual you will overhaul the car every few years.
I helped a friend work on his Volvo back in the 70's and in his case his wore out the oil pump shaft!
A car will run as long as you are willing an able to fix it as the Cubans have proven for 60 years.
Lightflyer1
Top Post Dawg
oilhammer
Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
... or repower it with a newer diesel engine.
(seriously, loads of "classic" American cars down there are little more than bondo laden shells atop recycled Japanese diesel pickup powertrains... ever see the show Cuban Chrome?)