• boonhet@sopuli.xyz
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    2 days ago

    Direct injection becoming commonplace has done a lot too, espegially with piezoelectric injectors that can do multiple injection events per combustion cycle for diesel. Modern transmissions have more speeds, quicker shifts and less efficiency loss with fewer moving parts.

    Hybrid in comparison doesn’t do much for mpg unless it’s plugin hybrid which of course can be a true game changer.

    Resistive heaters aren’t particularly fancy or expensive tech, but that’s irrelevant, 90s cars also heat up fast (since the engine thermal efficiency is usually worse), I’m more interested in the UTV comparison here since you literally can’t drive without heat here half the year.

    Agreed on the transit. But is there any real need for new car manufacturers? It’s very expensive to get started with a new one.

    There’s exactly one thing America needs to get smaller and cheaper cars. Proper taxation on fuel. Right now there’s no incentive to sell cheap small cars if everyone wants a brodozer and crossovers are seen as tiny.

    • thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world
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      21 hours ago

      Proper taxation on fuel might help.

      One massive problem is all the advertising of pickup trucks and muscle cars … advertising works. So many people can only see themselves needing and driving a large pickup/suv or a Dodge Charger.

      I’d like to see an advertising campaign for medium sized sedans pulling utility trailers … as being macho. It shocking how few people use utility trailers, they are not a thing in N. America.

      • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
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        21 hours ago

        North America needs wagons back. Diesel especially. It’s all I drive anymore.

        Imagine this, you’ve got 5 people in the car, a full boot and a trailer. You’re still getting 30 mpg on the highway. That’s a diesel wagon for you. Sedan body size with slightly more cargo space.

        And the ad could be that an empty truck pulls into the fuel station twice as many times on the same journey as the loaded wagon with its trailer.