New VW Jetta TDI
Posted on November 19, 2004
Filed Under General |
We picked up the new car last night. A brand new 2005 VW Jetta GLS TDI, Black on Black. Pictures will be up soon.
We purchased the car from Greenbelt VW on Kennedy Rd. in Markham. We dealt with Tim Kapassas.
Tim was the first (and one of the only) car salesman I met while shopping around for a new car that was straight up, honest, no BS, and very easy to talk to. That is, he was not a “car salesman”. He addressed my questions and concerns about some of the negative reports of VWs of late, with acknowledging the issues that I had researched (sometimes even before I asked), and explained the changes that have been made because of these problems. He was also very knowledgeable about the technical side of the vechile, and explained them well enough for a software engineer to understand. If you are in the market, go see Tim, and tell him I sent you.
More about the car. The TDI is VW’s 100-hp “Pumpe duse” diesel engine that gets rediculous millage compared to traditional gasoline engines. This is because diesel fuel has more stored energy, and the combustion process is much more efficient. So you get a cleaner burning fuel that carries you further. If petroleum-diesel doesn’t burn clean enough for you, then there is BioDiesel. There are currently 2 BioDiesel fueling stations in the GTA, one in Markham and one at Queen and Pape. And if buying B20 BioDiesel is not enough, then brew your own 100% BioDiesel at home. It smells like a summer project to me… also the biodiesel smells like french fries and burns clean. Can it get any better for fuel that costs 15 cents per liter to produce?
Update: Pictures!
Comments
2 Responses to “New VW Jetta TDI”
I always thought Desiel produced more carbons than regular petrol products. That is why it has been considered the “dirty” fuel and why cars have gone to gasoline. That and higer performance with better octain. You’ll have to talk to Kevin Dagenais about moding your car to use his current project.
I believe a fuel that costs 14 cents/L would be better.
Thank you Captin Obvious!
Where are the photos of your shiny new depreciating hunk of metal and plastic? ;)
Old diesel used to be smelly and sooty, but that is not the case today. Regardless, diesel has better emissions than gasoline for 4 of the 5 major outputs.
CO2: Diesel cars use 30-40% less fuel, so there is 30-40% less greenhouse/climate changing CO2
CO: Carbon monoxide is a “silent killer” because it is a poison that is odourless. Gas engines pump it out like mad, diesels produce virtually no CO.
NOx: Nitrogen Oxides are produced in the combustion process, they are the most abundant gas in the atmosphere, and one of the causes for smog. Over the life of a car, diesels and gasoline engines produce about the same amount. But the former produces more when it is new, then the latter produces more as it ages.
Hydrocarbons: Gasoline engines produce much more hydrocarbons, such as benzene, that is extremely carcinogenic. You also inhale hydrocarbon emission at the pump with gasoline. Again not the case with diesel.
Particulates: The soot and other particles many produced by diesels are about 10x larger than those of gasoline. This is the thick black smoke you see coming out of buses and large trucks, this includes sulpher compounds. It combines with low level ozone and is visible as smog. The health effects of the smaller particles from gasoline are attributed to lung problems more than the larger particles produced from diesel.
But by using B100 Biodiesel eliminates or virtually eliminates sulpher, particulate, and hydrocarbon output. There is not equivalent option for gasoline. Ethanol additives that burn clean in gasoline can only be added to about 10-15%, higher concentrations don’t work without modifications to the engine. B100 Biodiesel works in diesel engines without modification!