Don't presume that all the automakers have similar interests to put themselves at an advantage over their competitors. And don't forget there are other interests in there, too.
Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 29, 2014, at 12:40 AM, Lee Hart via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote: > > Dennis Miles via EV wrote: >> Because, Marion, the fool cell gives the least pollution at the vehicle. >> (And the manufacturers want the carbon credits, and Is, I have been told, >> the refining or conversion, of methane to hydrogen, is done in an >> unregulated location, not in the motor vehicle.) > > Exactly. Regulations can instigate changes. But exactly *how* the regulations > get written is vitally important in what kinds of changes get implemented. > > Years ago, gas water heaters had a standing pilot light. The pilot used a > small amount of gas, but the heat from the pilot was still going up the flue, > and still heating the water. The pilot had other side benefits, like keeping > the burner dry and free of bugs and mice, improving safety, and lowering cost. > > The government made it clear that they were going to implement efficiency > standards, with or without industry's help. So the water heater manufacturers > did a clever thing. They WROTE the regulations for the government. The > regulations eliminated the standing pilot light, and mandated a more complex > and expensive electronic ignition system. They also carefully made sure that > the energy used by the ignition system was NOT counted when calculating the > efficiency of the water heater. They also reduced the expected life of a > water heater to HALF of what it had formerly been (20 years was reduced to 10 > years typical). > > The result was that a) water heaters cost more, b) lasted a shorter time, and > c) could advertise higher efficiency, but not deliver it if you counted the > energy used by the new ignition system and blowers. These measure had the > effect of DOUBLING the profit on water heaters, which up until then had been > a stagnant low-profit industry. > > The auto companies are equally clever. I think they have figured out that if > they stop fighting CARB, and instead *write* the regulations, they can rig > the standards to favor themselves, and put other solutions (like EVs) at a > competitive disadvantage. > -- > The definition of research: Shoot the arrow first, and paint the target > around where it lands. -- David Van Baak > -- > Lee Hart's EV projects are at http://www.sunrise-ev.com/LeesEVs.htm > _______________________________________________ > UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub > http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org > For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA > (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA) > > _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
