[ROCKMAN]

Thought it might be handy for a place to post those stories that don't fit very well into other threads. Such as:

Reuters - New-generation petrol engines of passenger cars emit about 1,000 times more particles, including carcinogens, than traditional petrol engines, a study by German researchers showed. Faced with strict CO2 limits, carmakers have downsized engines to cut emissions and new gasoline direct injection (GDI) petrol engines may be in almost all new petrol cars sold in Europe by the end of the decade, the Brussels-based Transport & Environment think-tank said in a research paper on Wednesday. However, Germany's TUeV Nord independent vehicle researchers said in a study that GDI engines emit about 1,000 times more particles, including harmful carcinogens, than conventional petrol engines, and 10 times more than new diesel engines.

Increased emissions of harmful substances are caused by GDI engines operating with higher pressure in their cylinders, tending to produce a greater amount of the particles, according to Hanover-based TUeV Nord. "Cars are the largest source of air pollution in Europe's cities and 90 percent of European citizens are already exposed to harmful levels of particle pollution," Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager at Transport & Environment, said in the report. "More fuel-efficient, lower CO2 GDI engines would be a great innovation if they did not emit harmful particles.

[John_A]

Thought it might be handy for a place to post those stories that don't fit very well into other threads. Such as:

Reuters - . "Cars are the largest source of air pollution in Europe's cities and 90 percent of European citizens are already exposed to harmful levels of particle pollution," Greg Archer, clean vehicles manager at Transport & Environment, said in the report. "More fuel-efficient, lower CO2 GDI engines would be a great innovation if they did not emit harmful particles.

Some folks would just bitch if you hung them with a new rope, wouldn't they?

Full Disclosure: I've got two gasoline direct injection autos, and am thrilled with their performance with respect to engine size.

[kuidaskassikaeb]

Speaks for itself
http://www.transportenvironment.org/sites/te/files/publications/GDI%20Briefing_final_T%26E.pdf

Vehicle tests show that without the use of gasoline particulate filters (GPF), more particles
are emitted from gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines than diesels. On the road, GDI
vehicles may therefore exceed future European emissions limits – the Euro 6 standard. The
cost of a filter to eliminate particle emissions is low (around €50), with no fuel economy
penalty. Despite this, carmakers are declining to fit filters to GDI cars – thereby worsening
urban air pollution. T&E calls upon carmakers to ensure GDI cars minimize their particle
emissions by fitting filters. Carmakers should not use unreliable ‘engine management’
approaches to try and control emissions, as these produce much higher numbers of
particles, particularly during on-road driving.

So add a filter.

[ROCKMAN]

k - They didn't go into detail but alluded to a fix (a filter?) that would cost $1,500 =/-. I gather it's more involved then a simple hepa filter.

[Gordianus]

Reuters - New-generation petrol engines of passenger cars emit about 1,000 times more particles, including carcinogens, than traditional petrol engines, a study by German researchers showed. Faced with strict CO2 limits, carmakers have downsized engines to cut emissions and new gasoline direct injection (GDI) petrol engines may be in almost all new petrol cars sold in Europe by the end of the decade, the Brussels-based Transport & Environment think-tank said in a research paper on Wednesday. However, Germany's TUeV Nord independent vehicle researchers said in a study that GDI engines emit about 1,000 times more particles, including harmful carcinogens, than conventional petrol engines, and 10 times more than new diesel engines.
particles.

More than half the new cars sold in Europe are diesel and this has been steadily rising for years due to their superior efficiency and improved performance (fun fact: you can now buy a Mercedes SLK with a diesel engine). Ironically, one of the main arguments against diesel engines is the amount of particles they emit.

[kuidaskassikaeb]

The filters are basically catalytic converters, the same as for diesel engines, gas engines already have them. It's not really a deal breaker.

Rockman wrote

hey didn't go into detail but alluded to a fix (a filter?) that would cost $1,500 =/-. I

The article said

The
cost of a filter to eliminate particle emissions is low (around €50), w,

also 50 euros ain't 1500 dollars.

It is a symptom of something else that kind of bothers me though. Since all the real heavy lifting to reduce carbon or survive POD is going to be done with a combination of "efficiency" and or "less consumption." These efficiency measures like hybrid vehicles and fuel injection always seem less than they are sold as. My 1995 Honda had just as good gas mileage as a Prius, and better on the highway. Its secret was that it was light. I guess that would count as less consumption. The Prius is a great car, fast and quiet as heck, but it would count as "efficiency", because its really expensive and high end.