Ethanol = a form of homegrown alcohol

As for running pure nitrous oxide, I'm not sure. Doesn't it burn extremely quickly? How much would you need on board to go 400-500 miles? Also I don't know if the raw material used to make it is readily available in mass quantities.

 

Good question. I would say it is a toss-up.

There is no doubt that certain lending institutions misled a lot of people into borrowing money they had no business borrowing in the first place. Those shady practices and poor decisions to lend money under misleading pretenses is coming back to haunt them. However, the entire economy is feeling the effects, not just the banks.

Who gets a sub-prime mortgage? Typically those who have poor credit and low incomes. i.e., people who cannot pay their bills on time. Most of these people shouldn't be applying for a car loan let alone a mortgage.

So to answer your question I would say both.

 

That would be totally cool to have your motor explode just as your chute deploys, while pulling into the 7-eleven parking lot for a Big Gulp.

 

I certainly agree that increasing electric output is an excellent idea. Nuke is great, wind/solar/tidal generators where possible.

I agree that electric cars would probably be an improvement for many reasons. Unfortunately . . . who wants one? You can tell people until you're blue in the face that 99% of their driving is a short commute to/from work, but everyone is going to wonder "What if I want to drive to Grandma's house out of state? Better go with the gas just in case."

Plus, all the po' people (ME!) will buy a used gas burner over an electric car until both electric cars and electric power is cheaper than gas. I think the economics will move there eventually, but not for a long while.

That said . . this car is neat. Electric for now, soon to be electric and gas hybrid, and an "equivalent" of 300mpg. "Only" $30k, and it looks like an airplane that had it's wings ripped off. The "Aptera":

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/4237853.html

 

Rushing a frat somewhere.

 

I agree, see my post #85. By definition a "plug in hybrid" is a car that gets plugged in to charge but also has some sort of internal combustion engine (ICE). Check out the Chevy Volt for the latest American advancement.

If you combine a car that goes 20-30 miles on a charge with one that uses a biodiesel engine to charge the batteries for unlimited endurance (similar to the volt but using biodiesel not gasoline) in a setup like diesel electric trains, we've got a winner. The problem is the cost...

 

The problem is, as it always has been..

Salaries not increasing with the rate of inflation.

How can you tax the Middle Class more when they can't afford the current taxes.

When over 70% of the country lives from paycheck to paycheck we have a serious crisis.

 

fosters:

Nitrous Oxide doesn't burn....it is an Oxygen source that allows the fuel (whether that be gasoline, nirtomethanol, etc) to burn more quickly.

The atmosphere is only 21% Oxygen, and essentially 78% inert material...that material being Nitrogen. Nitrous Oxide raises that ratio of Oxygen to Nitrogen.

People think Oxygen burns, too, but it doesn't. All combustion is the result of the chemical combination (reaction) of oxygen with a fuel.

And Nitrous must be manufactured.....that takes energy.

 

Don't top fuel dragsters run on Nitrous Oxide alone? Correct me if I am wrong.

Not that you would put a dragster engine in your car, but make an engine fit for a passenger car that will run on it.

 

I top fuel cars run on nitro methane. Its an alternative fuel that Albert Gore wouldn't express a favorable opinion of! I believe it cost near 500 USD/for a 50 gallon drum and has a extremely high octane rating and would destroy all non race engines.

Nitrous Oxide is bottled gas (not fuel) you can have plumbed into a non stock but street drivable performance engine for added boost for acceleration.

EAHINC