Is Ford Replacing All Their Gasoline V8s with EcoBoost?
#36
#39
Surprising! Every Northstar engine I did oil changes on when I was a oil/tire tech would drip on me and be just covered in oil underneath...most were 90s-early 2000s...always dreaded seeing it was going to be a Seville or DeVille on the sheet cause I knew I was going to be bathed in oil!
If I remember didn't someone post a thread on here saying Ford was looking into a hybrid F150 in coming years? I know I posted on it saying that is them giving the finger to people that wanted a diesel F150 for years. Not sure how a EcoBoost hybrid would work, but I do know that under the hood is going to be so cramped with crap with the hybrid system and V6 or V8 engine and you never know if the vehicle is on or not even with the ignition off. When I did Prius' for oil changes, I was always told to leave the key up by the service desk window which was about 20+ feet away from the bay I was working in to make sure the car was off. Last thing I wanted was be zapped by those dang things.
If I remember didn't someone post a thread on here saying Ford was looking into a hybrid F150 in coming years? I know I posted on it saying that is them giving the finger to people that wanted a diesel F150 for years. Not sure how a EcoBoost hybrid would work, but I do know that under the hood is going to be so cramped with crap with the hybrid system and V6 or V8 engine and you never know if the vehicle is on or not even with the ignition off. When I did Prius' for oil changes, I was always told to leave the key up by the service desk window which was about 20+ feet away from the bay I was working in to make sure the car was off. Last thing I wanted was be zapped by those dang things.
#40
#41
if battery technology makes a few big steps, hybrids will be a pretty awesome option. It's much simpler to make a combustion engine produce electricity efficiently than it is to run at variable speeds for "conventional" automotive applications.
Microturbines are amazingly efficient.
Actually, improved and cheaper energy storage is the key to a lot of neat technologies for home and industrial power use as well.
I'm excited for the things I'll see in my lifetime.
Microturbines are amazingly efficient.
Actually, improved and cheaper energy storage is the key to a lot of neat technologies for home and industrial power use as well.
I'm excited for the things I'll see in my lifetime.
#43
Have you heard how Audi has just created synthetic diesel fuel with water and carbon dioxide? Maybe if this technology advances, we may have internal combustion engines longer then expected.
#44
That Audi stuff isn't terribly groundbreaking IMO, as it still requires a significant input of energy from somewhere.
Sasol in South Africa has been producing diesel from methane for years, and that's a more efficient process as far as I know. Methane is inexpensive and abundant in many parts of the world.
Still, in the end, these liquid fuels are really just energy storage, so if eventually batteries can compete on a coast and energy density basis, burning liquid fuels isn't nearly as attractive in most applications.
Sasol in South Africa has been producing diesel from methane for years, and that's a more efficient process as far as I know. Methane is inexpensive and abundant in many parts of the world.
Still, in the end, these liquid fuels are really just energy storage, so if eventually batteries can compete on a coast and energy density basis, burning liquid fuels isn't nearly as attractive in most applications.