As Screwloose outlined yesterday. DPF and short trips don`t go well together.
What`s the answer for those of us still running diesels without DPF?
Hold on to the current car? even taking an approach that would see a major expense such as a new engine- or other several thousand pound repair- preferable to a new car with DPF?
Our non turbo, non common rail, non DPF Punto 1.9D, has spent the last 6+ years on cold running stop start community work. Despite a typical 30+ or so, stop starts a day- never showing a water temp reading in winter, it`s fine after all this time. Doing 53/4 mpg in that use too.
My point is, that it seems as though the car with DPF is now determining what use it can reliably put to and that the diesels efficiency in ultra short trip,cold engine-stop-start use has just been wiped out by DPF.
I suppose solutions will be found, but it seems as though there is an argument, as never before to put money into that "working tool" of the stop start , pre DPF, diesel and not let it pass out of your hands, until better solutions, such as pure battery short range cars are cheaply available.
Further thoughts on solutions.
Looking at our own needs, my wife`s Punto could be replaced with a *simple* battery car of the same size, with a speed of 40 mph and range of twenty miles at 30mph. There would need to be a boost to 50mph for a couple of miles, per charge.
That could be charged at night on economy 7, and would just need a charge point in the office carpark, to give a 30 minute boost. (as a safeguard)
Heaters. Why can`t the off car electric energy solution take the brunt of energy demands for these?
Why can`t a solution as in an electric storage heater store heat from the mains and then use a simple on-board fan to distribute heat during use.? Small interior space, little weight.
Surely the answer to short journey, stop start, second cars is somewhere here, rather than with DPF diesels?
Your thoughts?
regards
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"could be replaced with a *simple* battery car of the same size"
Just to clarify my point.
Do pure battery cars REALLY not all that computerised on board rubbish? By simple I mean today`s cutting edge batteries, but the simplicity of yesteryears electric cars and milk floats.
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I'd rather have a small 3 cylinder bluemotion type diesel than an electric car. I'm wholly unconvinced by the use of electricty for cars because there is so much waste from the fossil fuel being put into the power station to the wheels turning, and if more people had them, it would cause spikes in demand which would require lots of new power stations which further increases the inefficiency as they have to be kept idling during off peak times. Also, try googling "dpf deletion" "dpf delete".
Edited by Hamsafar on 14/08/2008 at 10:56
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"That could be charged at night on economy 7"
The electricity suppliers are already wise to that. Spain has recently ended off-peak tariffs (despite a big outcry from users with off-peak heating - there are parts of Spain where it gets cold!) on the basis that with modern power plants there is no cheap power production periods. Given the cross-border ownership of energy suppliers, UK won't be far behind.
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Why would someone own a diesel, DPF or otherwise, if the requirement is short trips?
Diesel costs £6 a gallon and a DPF diesel variant will almost certainly cost significantly more than the petrol equivalent.
A lot of modern diesels are nicer to drive than petrol equivalents, but that doesnt stand up against reliability concerns and sheer expense.
Edited by Sulphur Man on 14/08/2008 at 13:26
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