03Panther said:
Government regulation has always been the stimulus for advancement. At at least, since 1966 when automotive emissions started to be regulated.
Yep started forcing crap systems on us way before they were effective. Only took about 25 years to get where the systems were not junk.
They were effective, otherwise they would not have been able to be sold in the US (or California).
We have a kind of bizarre perspective in this country because the Big 3's answer was basically a lazy and arrogant "berk it, just keep dropping compression and cam timing, people will buy 150hp big blocks and like it, because what else are they going to buy?" Well, they bought Hondas and Toyotas and VWs and other imports, because those companies were not afraid to add innovation. It took a long time for American automakers to turn around and innovate as well, and the boot kicking their ass was their market share dwindling because the import manufacturers didn't have their heads up their asses.
Before the cataytic converter was invented, a GM representative whined to the government that there was no way they could build engines that would meet 1975 emissions standards. A Honda rep at that meeting snidely commented that they would be happy to sell engines to GM, because they already could do it. (This historical anecdote makes the Honda-engined Saturns HILARIOUS to me )
Even electronic ignition was adopted because it was needed to meet emissions specs.
I guess its supposed to be a good thing that the automakers forced horrible stop gap systems on us, while they learned how to build one that worked well, instead having the time to develop a good system before selling us junk.
If it wasn't for the regulatory carrot, we'd still be driving cars with points and carbs
Uh, no. absolutely not true. The thirst for improvements are always there, for some people.
It totally is true, and I can prove it: People buy used cars instead of new ones because they are a cheaper way to get transportation.
If someone came out today with a zero-tech car that retailed for $8000, people would buy them in droves because they are cheap.
...15 year old car with 240,000mi that runs high 13s, emits exhaust cleaner than the air it breathes in...
If that was true, the air would be getting better and cleaner the more your car was driven. So improvements would be a detriment.
Any car running with a functional converter and functioning feedback fuel control is emitting water vapor, CO2, and levels of HC/CO/NOx lower than the surrounding atmosphere. Almost all emissions nowadays is from cold starts, running under power enrichment(asterisk), and evaporative emissions when parked.
More interesting is that Volvo has radiators with a special coating on the radiator core that breaks down ground-level ozone into O2. So they literally do make the air cleaner
Asterisk - Note that the big push nowadays is for engines that run stoich ALL THE TIME, even under full throttle. And automakers for years have employed time based power enrichment - they run stoich for three or five seconds at WOT and only then start to add fuel for valve and catalyst cooling. Theory being that most people only use heavy throttle for a few seconds at most for pulling out to pass or something, and the engine can handle a short burst at heavy throttle just fine, it's only for extended pulls that the additional cooling is needed. Hell, even MEGASQUIRT has an option for a time based power enrichment scheme like this!