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121 comments on Thursday Open Thread: The "What Have You Done with The Press Release?" Edition

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haggisbasher on April 27, 2006 - 11:51am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
This would be require only a simple change in manufacturing regulations, could be implemented quickly, and would help reduce the consumption across the spectrum of vehicle types.  My experience of driving cars fitted with these devices is that is difficult to ignore them, it is very human to try to improve your score.  Without really being aware of it, you learn a driving style which maximizes consumption.  I find myself using exactly the techniques I learnt even though I now drive a car without a meter.
Another "pain free" change could be that manufacturers are required to published detailed consumption graphs - ie consumption in various gears / speeds.  Many people are not aware of the massive increase in fuel use which occurs between 50 and 75.
This may be academic - once consumers begin to feel real pain they may demand these improvements.
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Leanan on April 27, 2006 - 12:02pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
My experience of driving cars fitted with these devices is that is difficult to ignore them, it is very human to try to improve your score.

Very true.  I've even seen Prius drivers comparing scores at red lights.

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Engineer-Poet on April 27, 2006 - 4:29pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
As long as you're at it, standard cruise control (with requirements for accuracy) would save a lot of fuel too.  And if someone could come up with an inexpensive way of making an adaptive cruise control which would let cars cruise in "trains" perhaps ten feet apart, the cut in fuel consumption from the reduced drag would help even more.
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Twilight on April 27, 2006 - 7:25pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Actually, while I like a cruise control that holds a very constant speed, I believe it is more economical to let it droop on the uphill and speed up downhill.
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Engineer-Poet on April 28, 2006 - 1:47am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Perhaps (for gas cars), but if it's going to be usable in traffic then you have the difficulty of specifying a speed vs. grade curve as part of the standard (so that vehicles can remain in cruise going up and down hills).  Much easier just to peg a speed and hold it.

I get much better economy in the diesel when I hold constant speed up hills, accelerate over the crest and then drop to neutral to coast down.  It would be even more different in a hybrid.  Any specification should probably be written with hybrids or EV's in mind, as everything else is going to be obsolete in a decade or so but we'll be stuck with the legacy standard.

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PhilRelig on April 28, 2006 - 5:53am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
The standard-equipment cruise control is an excellent idea.  Cruise control makes it a lot easier for an inveterate lead-foot such as myself to maintain the speed limit.  

(And like I said on another thread, here's an endorsement for the 55 mph speed limit from someone who by nature much prefers the speedlimitless conditions of the German Autobahn.  Chafing as I always have under speed limits, I really never thought that day would come!)

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