@farmerman,
farmerman wrote:
Cyclo--
I disagree because I feel that there will be as much (or more) investment in alternative energy infrastructure as there would be in the original product (full hybrids, capacitor discharge etc). It requires charging stations and new connections. A diesel economy requires no major infrastructure changes.
Yes, but it's still a super inefficient method of energy delivery and a limited one. It requires pumping oil out of the ground and refining it and shipping it.
(I know that you talk about biodiesel but that's still just a tiny industry, I discuss that below. The truth is that the majority of diesel for the time being is going to be petroleum based, and if that's what you are pushing, the things I list above are the result)
Electricity on the other hand can come from any source of production. That's a win in the long run over any physical energy source, hands down. As gasoline - even if it is diesel - gets hard to find and more expensive to manufacture (which my environmental allies and myself will keep working to make happen - it's only cheap right now b/c the external costs are ignored) electricity will quickly supplant it; GIVEN that batteries exist. Which is why that part's important.
Quote:I own a Ford Escape Hybrid and Im amazed at how little the car dealers are invested in these.Theres only one certified hybrid mechanic in my entire town and ,to me, all these electric and hybrid cars are an afterthought and the technology is not being pushed by US carsmakers (Gm is only coming out with the volt and Chrysler makes none).

There are a lot of them where I live. Wait a few years and it'll move east, just like everything else in America.
Quote:NOPE, Im gonna invest in diesel tech, It requires no real infrastructure change, the engines are really just another IC engine , and the fuels carried are dense and easily obtainable. All it takes is a fatty acid, an alcohol, and a base.
That still don't appear on the horizon.
I haven't seen any large-scale biodiesel plants to invest in that I would consider to be efficient or profitable. Maybe you can clue me in on them. Most of the stuff I see in that area is cottage-industry level. I think that they are as far or farther away from viability as the battery technology.
As for the IC engine - IC engines suck and you know it! They are inefficient as hell and waste practically all that great energy tied up in diesel or gasoline. Why should we be promoting this?
Cycloptichorn