Ancient cars: a real threat to the environment?

 Old cars, like the Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia, are capable to awake passions even after decades out of the production lines. Not just due to the design cues, the old-school rides also delight enthusiasts all around the world. However, emission and safety laws often make them be seen just as a piece of junk despite all the historic value and even some technical advantages over current options on the market...

The Karmann-Ghia itself, for example, doesn't require cooling fluid for its rear-mounted air-cooled engine, avoiding potential risks of an incorrect disposal of it. Also, since it's carburettor-fed is easier to perform emergency repairs at the roadside while in a modern average plastic ball car with electronic fuel injection a computer is often demanded to be connected to the engine.

Despite all that environmental speech claiming newer vehicles as "more fuel-efficient than old beaters", it does worth to remember that some old engines such as the GM "Iron Duke" 4-banger with a 2-bbl carburettor can make an old Chevrolet Opala from Brazil or a South-African Chevrolet Ranger get a mileage close to new models in a comparable size, often with an engine displacement below its 2.5L.

And since its RPM range is not so broad, the torque distribution at a lower revving is already well modulated even without modern tricks like the variable valve timing.

A carburettor also has a smaller impact in the environment when disposed than a complete EFI setup with all its wiring and electronic modules, being easier to recycle with low technical resources.

And even repairs or preventive maintenance are simpler, cheaper and can even be performed at home with simple tools. No wonder the Toyota Corolla still relied on carburettors for its entry-level versions in the Philippines until late 90's, for example...

Another trend that is now outdated in the automotive market are the 2-stroke engines, that are still remembered in models like the DKW F-91, known in Brazil as DKW-Vemag Belcar.

Due to the old 2-stroke oils from its time, often the engine is reported to release a dark-colored smoke, but this issue has been addressed by current synthetic oils that have becoming popular among off-road motorcycle riders or even the vegetable-based ones used in kart racing. Also, since the oil is burnt alongside the fuel, it avoids unproper disposal of old motor oil that can lead to water and soil contamination...

Another point of interest is the ability to run on alternative fuels in older vehicles: while the electronic engine management features were already available when models like the Chevrolet Lumina APV/Pontiac Trans Sport/Oldsmobile Silhouette started to hit the American market as FFV's (FlexFuel Vehicle) in 1992, the Ford Model T had a special carburettor with a variable diffuser since 1908.

OK, the manual ignition advance control helped to deal with the flame propagation speed issue using different fuels like ethanol, gasoline or kerosene. Even gaseous fuels such as CNG/biomethane could be used without all those electronic auxiliary modules from aftermarket conversion kits to fool the electronic control management in modern engines...

 As far as ethanol goes, it does worth to remember again the Volkswagen air-cooled engine: from early 80's until 2005, it had some dedicated-ethanol versions available in the Brazilian market. An used cars dealer from Pelotas city, near the Uruguayan border, once told me that he had a dedicated-ethanol Beetle, but due to an innacurate thermostatically-controlled airflow restriction device around its heads and cooling fan he often used gasoline in the winter to get the idling more stable. But, despite some beliefs that an air-cooled engine is harder to convert to run on alternative fuels due to the less accurate temperature control, it's not impossible.

Other engines often portrayed as a danger to the environment are the diesels, most notably the older ones with an all-mechanical injection setup. The particulate matter emissions issue has been addressed in newer vehicles with the electronic injection management and particulate filters, but actually even an old diesel with a correct tune at its injection pump won't generate an outrageous amount of soot...

It's also not so unusual for an older diesel-powered car to have a higher fuel-efficiency than a comparable gasoline-electric hybrid. Also, the compression ignition works better with liquid alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, while the inability to operate with gaseous fuels that require a spark ignition is not really so intense if we consider the trend in the current hybrids that is a workaround on the camshaft to hold the intake valve timing for a longer period to simulate a power stroke longer than the compression stroke, like happens in an Atkinson-cycle engine.

And the traction batteries of a hybrid are filled with some dangerous chemical compounds...

It does also worth to remember that some older vehicles demanded a smaller amount of raw materials than its recent counterparts to be made of, such as the 1st-gen Volkswagen Transporter, known in Brazil as Kombi and remaining on production. Its external size is actually closer to the minivans, but it can often face some modern opponents in an upper size class without too many disadvantages...

 Another thing to consider is the comfort: some older models like the classic Jaguar XJ-series still have an outstanding setup that actually doesn't owe too much to its newer counterparts such as the smaller Jaguar XF.

Okay, some newer amenities and gadgets are cool, but are'em really necessary in a car??? Actually no...

So, despite some different opinions, an old beater can even have a lower environmental impact than a brand-new vehicle...

Motorcycles: a cost-effective option for police pursuits, and even some tactical duties

Due to their lower cost of purchase and maintenance, motorcycles are often pointed as a good option for affordable personal transport. Also, their enhanced maneuverability in tight urban spaces is a feature highly desired in the crowded urban centers worldwide.

It's also worth to notice the cost advantage in comparison with an automobile in a close performance level. In certain markets a motorcycle such as a Yamaha YZF-R1 can be about 4 times cheaper than a Chevrolet Camaro SS and more than 15 times less expensive than a Ferrari F458 Italia, for example.

Not everytime the budget of a law enforcement agency allows it to mantain an adequate pursuit vehicle powerful enought to hunt down either a high-end sports car or an average street-racing machine with its loud fart cans, and those "police-packages" well known in the United States are not offered in every country. Then, motorcycles, such as a Honda Hornet, can be considered as a viable alternative due to their cost/performance ratio and the mechanical setup tuned to stand under higher speeds...

I would, however, strongly recommend to fit an automatic clutch, such as a Rekluse, to enhance the safety for the officer, still allowing the handle of a gun while riding. And anti-skid brakes are also a desirable feature...

Models such as the classic Harley-Davidson Electra Glide have been used for highway patrol since its introduction, altough they have some handling limitations due to their weight and the position of the foot stands. Also, the top speed is not so impressive. No wonder why the Philippine National Police (PNP) has some Ducati Multistrada as police interceptors, since they have a good balance between speed and handling.

However, it's not only on paved roads that motorcycles have advantages. For off-road operations, beyond their maneuverability in tight spaces, they can deal with higher approach and departure angles and side inclination than a 4WD vehicle usually found on rural patrol, and often get into some routes where a 4-wheeled vehicle wouldn't be able to go due to its size. So, sometimes even an old Yamaha DT180 can be more suitable for an environmentally-extreme operation than an acclaimed Land Rover...

Due to some artificial obstacles in urbanized areas, a dual-purpose (a.k.a. on/off-road) can also be suitable due to the ease to deal with this operational condition.

However, I'm usually not so favorable to carry a passenger on a motorcycle, but for police operations often a well-trained "co-pilot" can help, shooting while the pilot is more concentrated for a safe ride. This is widely done by the Philippine National Police, as shown in the video below. Audio is in Tagalog but it does still worth to watch, but due to the graphic content I strongly recommend "sensible" people and those who dislike bloody images to avoid it.

Diesels and ambulances, a good match

Ambulances are highly demanded for dependability and throttle response, usually even more than top speed.

Also, heavy urban traffic where some health issues usually occur is not the easiest stage for racing tricks...

Then, engines that provide a better low-end torque and have less electric features prone to fail and also lead to some performance issues while using some high energy-demanding devices such as a defibrilator are desirable. And the best answer for these requirements is a Diesel engine.

Tougher than a gasser with a similar performance, Diesels are a great option to use in off-road-capable rescue vehicles due to their increased reliability due to the absence of an electric ignition setup, without spark plugs, ignition cables, coils and specially the distributor that is widely sensible to harsh environmental conditions. But even a simple coil can be a source of trouble, I still remember an occasion when I had some problems with the coil of a 1.0L Opel Corsa after getting the engine washed...

For some operators such as military corps, the dependability of a Diesel is a #1 priority, for example...

Also, another advantage is the adaptability to the use of alternative fuels, going from biodiesel (which biggest consumer in the world is currently U.S. Navy) and ethanol to waste cooking oil or some lube oils from different grades. Due to the compression-ignition setup relying on the injection timing, there are no pre-ignition issues like an Otto (average spark-ignited 4-stroke) running on low-octane gasoline, so no sensible power/torque losses.

 Not just for military tactical use, the possibilities of biofuels are a good alternative for regular civilian ambulances due to their lighter environmental impact...

While they're often quoted as "agricultural tools" due to the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) from some older developments, in the last 2 decades their evolution has been noticeable, and the ride on a recent Diesel-powered vehicle can be as comfortable as in a gasser. Improvements on electronic injection management systems apart, the evolution in the turbocharging has benefitted the Diesel in the performance field, and also due to its already stronger-than-gasser construction these engines don't sacrifice too much reliability under some heavy boost. Nowadays, some smaller-displacement Diesels are spotting some performance levels that once were restricted to larger gasoline-powered engines.

As far as vibration goes, counterbalancing shafts and hydraulic motor mount cushions have been a successful way to deal with this issue. Noise is attenuated with the use of some sound-deadening materials in the linings, and also considering the sirens are usually louder than a Diesel engine...

Another usual report against Diesels is related to cold-start capability. Newer engines fitted with direct injection have quicker start-ups in cold weather than some earlier indirect-injection ones, but some features like glow-plugs and grid-heaters have been still widely used to ease the cold-start...

So, even with some misconceptions around, Diesel engines are a good feature for ambulances...

Atkinson cycle: a nice marketing strategy to fool the hybrid car buyers

Back in 1882, British inventor James Atkinson was intending to overcome some patents of Otto's 4-stroke engine. Then, he developed an articulated crankshaft that allowed his engine to have all the 4 strokes in a single flywheel spin, instead of the 2 spins required in the Otto cycle. It also had a power stroke longer than the compression stroke, and then a higher efficiency was achieved.

But the articulated crankshaft is more expensive to produce, and demands a more accurate lube system to avoid failures, then it ended up becoming not so popular. It's also usually heavier and larger.

Nowadays, with the hybrid cars trend, the Atkinson label has been applied to some Otto engines, because of a different setup of the intake valve timing, that are held open for a longer time, allowing a portion of the intake air to return, leading to a reduction of the so-called pumping losses, and a smaller amount of fuel is required. However, its side-effect is a decresement on power and torque, even followed by the raised compression ratio due to the lower cylinder heads also employed.

This cheap workaround has been presented as a really advanced feature, but actually it's more about marketing to make the same engines be perceived as "greener" in a low-cost way. But, alongside the auxiliary electric drive system, the so-called Atkinson engines end up as another excuse to get a higher price tag at the dealership...

Some considerations about the Nissan LEAF

Starting to have some cult-follow as the first pure-electric vehicle released to the regular market by a major player in the industry, the Nissan LEAF actually doesn't look so revolutionary. As some friends of mine said, at a first sight it doesn't seem to be nothing more than "a regular car body relying on the drivelines of a golf-cart" just like all those tiny electric vehicles from smaller manufacturers.

OK, sometimes a so-called "revolution" is not a complete solution in terms of real-world conditions. For example, cab heating is an essential feature in some places. As far as the Brazilian market goes, even in some southern regions with a cold winter, no-frills versions of the 1-litre cars are often available without cab heating provision to reduce the cost. The elimination of the heater core and secondary cooling fluid lines represents some savings for the automakers, and lower price tags for the customer who doesn't care about all those amenities and just wants something safer and more comfortable than a motorcycle.

As far as electric cars go, it's not so easy to have this feature in a way that wouldn't sacrifice the overall efficiency with an electric heater, then some vehicles have supplementary heating units such as those gasoline-powered or diesel-powered ones used in Europe. However, while a lot of electric vehicles, either dedicated or converted ones, don't have a water-cooling circuit for the motor, the LEAF has it, so can use the waste motor heat to make the cab more comfortable in the winter, just like a regular internal-combustion vehicle. OK, it ends up adding weight and some mechanical complexity when compared to its opponents in the electric cars scene, but was an effective way to deal with the comfort issue.

Its engine bay actually doesn't look so different of an average gasoline-powered hatchback. But it has noticeable differences on the transmission due to the absence of a gearbox. Some electric motors allow the reversibility by their own, so there is no need to have a reverse gear, and since there is no idling they can even be coupled permanently, without the need of a clutch or any torque converter.

Even with a joystick featuring the usual P, R, N and D, with an "eco" mode, its motor is directly bolted to the differential, reducing the friction losses. Except for the "eco" and the P, the same setup as a golf-cart or some pure-electric or series-hybrid transit buses. However, some people who test-drove it in Porto Alegre, my hometown, thought it had either a CVT or a regular "hydramatic" with sequential 2-speed mode...

Only problem with the LEAF, actually, is its range, limited to 160 kilometers/100 miles. Considering its more compact design than the serial-hybrid Chevrolet Volt, one of its opponents in the American market, it would be hard to fit an on-board genset to act as a range-extender. However, if hub-motors were used, bolted to the rear wheels to avoid higher efforts for the steering system due to the increasement on the non-suspended mass, the space currently occupied by the differential and the single motor could leave room either to supplementary batteries or a "range-extender". However, instead of the 4-stroke gasoline-powered setup found on the Volt, a smaller and lighter 2-stroke would have noticeable advantages on packaging. Another good option could be diesel power, allowing the biodiesel as a clean option. But since it was developed to be purely electric, the front compartment could be used for more batteries and maybe even a spare tyre...

Some customers still prefer to have a spare tyre than just these lighter, space-saving quick-sealing setups.

There is already a gap in the automotive market that can be filled by the LEAF, but some reviews on its current concept could make it wider...

Diesel engines: some taboos still around it

Since the 80's, there is no diesel-powered sedan from any American automaker in the domestic market. Often, the experience with Oldsmobile Diesel engines used by GM is blamed for the bad reputation diesels still hold there, due to the absence of a water separator filter on the fuel lines and some head gasket issues, but actually the biggest problem were the mechanics more used to service regular gasoline-powered vehicles. However, this is going to change. The world-acclaimed Chevrolet Cruze is scheduled to be offered with a 2.0L turbodiesel in the U.S. domestic market. Already offered in other countries, it's even the only engine option for the model in India. Actually, since it has a better low-end torque, would even be more pleasurable to the average American driver than its gasoline-powered counterparts.

One of the taboos about diesels is related to the maintenance: it's actually not so harder as most people think. Due to the absence of an electric ignition system, they're even simpler to work on. And currently with all that electronic engine management systems all-around, their fuel injection hardwares are getting closer to the a gasoline/E85/CNG/LPG setup, easing the first contacts for mechanics unexperienced on the diesel field.

Another taboo is about their noise, vibration and harshness. OK, they're quite louder than a gasser, and it's perfectly normal due to their compression-ignition. The same phenomenon can happen in a gasser in an unintentional way when a lower quality fuel is used, leading to the pre-ignition. As far as vibration goes, counterbalancing shafts and different designs on the engine mounting brackets and cushions are reducing this issue and its effects over the riding comfort.

Other incorrect image about diesels is related to pollution: they're reported to pollute more than its gasoline-powered counterparts, but it's actually not true. While there is a dark, thick smoke, out of the exhaust pipe on some diesel-powered vehicles, due to the so-called particulate matter, it's related to incorrect tuning, with a higher amount of fuel being injected and then released unburnt or incorrectly burnt. Nowadays with all that electronic management, injection setups can self-correct the injected fuel amount nearly instantly, leading to a higher reduction on the particulate matter formation, and the evolutions on the exhaust aftertreatment have been helping considerably too. Diesel-cycle combustion proccess is more efficient, then cleaner, and they have the capability to handle a wide range of alternative fuels such as biodiesel, waste vegetable cooking oil or even the nowadays acclaimed ethanol. Dr. Rudolf Diesel himself used peanut oil in his initial trials with a reliable, safe and economically viable compression-ignition engine, and suggested it could even help to improve the economy in agricultural regions, allowing farmers to be self-sufficient on fuel to run their agricultural machinery.

Safety is another thing to consider when opting for a diesel-powered vehicle. Diesel fuel is less volatile than gasoline and ethanol, then reduces the risk of an explosion or a fire. No wonder they're so widely used by military forces worldwide as a NATO standard.

There is also the energy safety: since diesels can use a wider range of alternative fuels, it would lead to a reduction on the dependance on imported oil. And some of the money sent overseas for oil is even used to sponsor terrorist acts in the Uncle Sam's lands...

So, even being still a taboo, light-duty diesels are a great option for the American market.