Cars! Cars! Cars!
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
The race to improve thermal efficiency on ICE. To be dair Mazda claims around 43% on its Skyactiv X, and trying to reach 56% in its Skyactiv 3. Other companies are aiming at 50%.
None of these will match EVs and that's the reason why countries are rushing to it. Electricity to mechanical movement is 90 to 99% efficiency. If we factor the burning of carbon fuels in a power plant, to electrical generation and transmission across lines, to being charged and released on a battery to the electric motor and to the wheels you can still be seeing 60% thermal efficiency. The burning of carbon based fuels can lean towards cleaner natural gas and be substituted to solar, wind, hydro and nuclear.
None of these will match EVs and that's the reason why countries are rushing to it. Electricity to mechanical movement is 90 to 99% efficiency. If we factor the burning of carbon fuels in a power plant, to electrical generation and transmission across lines, to being charged and released on a battery to the electric motor and to the wheels you can still be seeing 60% thermal efficiency. The burning of carbon based fuels can lean towards cleaner natural gas and be substituted to solar, wind, hydro and nuclear.
I always wondered how good Chinese pickups are. While Chinese EVs are getting the media attention, sales of utes in China are surging and so are the exports. GWMs have been exported to the Down Under for some time now, let's see what reviews have to say about the newest models. As a note, Chinese pickups are limited up to 2.0 liters by some engine displacement law in China, and the ones exported to Australia are close to Chinese spec. Unlike Japanese brands which sell regional spec vehicles with displacements up to 3.0 liters, Chinese brands have yet learned the importance of creating and selling region specific vehicles to take advantage and circumvent regional engine related restrictions. Thus the Chinese ute has to stick with a 2 liter turbodiesel engine when a Hilux can stick a 2.8 or 3.0 liter turbodiesel on it.
Nice interior for a ute, but don't expect the torque to match a Hilux, Strada, a Ranger, or a D-Max with their turbodiesels. Still that's about the torque --- 400nm -- you get from a US spec Toyota Tacoma with the 3.5 liter V6, or to be more precise, slightly better than the V6 Tacoma (395nm), and way better than the torque from the base line 4 cylinder Tacoma (244nm).
Nice interior for a ute, but don't expect the torque to match a Hilux, Strada, a Ranger, or a D-Max with their turbodiesels. Still that's about the torque --- 400nm -- you get from a US spec Toyota Tacoma with the 3.5 liter V6, or to be more precise, slightly better than the V6 Tacoma (395nm), and way better than the torque from the base line 4 cylinder Tacoma (244nm).
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This is one of the better Chinese pickups, perhaps among those that compete for the best title. This is the Foton Tunland G7, but in this video, taken in the Philippines, its been regionally renamed as the Foton Thunder. The interior looks too nice for a utility pickup, and the exterior is quite handsome despite taking many design ques from other pickups. All this for a remarkable around $22,000 in USD equivalent. At a time when people are complaining of super high truck prices in the US, you don't have this pickup inflation in Asia.
In Australia they call pickups utes but in South Africa they call them bakkies. This is the original Foton Tunland, and this is the 2.8 liter turbodiesel version with the Cummins R2.8 engine. The original looks more unique than its successors for some reason.
Without the sticker embellishments.
The Tunland G9 looks Fordish. Still quite handsome though. The Cummins is replaced with another diesel engine in the G7 and G9.
In Australia they call pickups utes but in South Africa they call them bakkies. This is the original Foton Tunland, and this is the 2.8 liter turbodiesel version with the Cummins R2.8 engine. The original looks more unique than its successors for some reason.
Without the sticker embellishments.
The Tunland G9 looks Fordish. Still quite handsome though. The Cummins is replaced with another diesel engine in the G7 and G9.
Volvo
People might get the impression that Chinese EVs are the ones spearheading Chinese vehicular exports around the world, when in fact, pickups, trucks, light trucks, vans and other commercial vehicles have been doing this for at least 15 years.
This product has been discontinued but BAIC has been exporting or locally assembling a renamed LFC (Low Forward Cab) style pickup in the Philippines as the H5 Bayanihan. These vehicles are hard core basic, with only manual and no infotainment but also makes them ridiculously cheap and leave little parts to break. The Bayanihan appears to have appeared some time ago, and has been replaced by another model.
This one in Malaysia but also sold in other SEA countries, is the Maxus V80 van.
GWM Poer going off roader and being reviewed in Nepal.
This product has been discontinued but BAIC has been exporting or locally assembling a renamed LFC (Low Forward Cab) style pickup in the Philippines as the H5 Bayanihan. These vehicles are hard core basic, with only manual and no infotainment but also makes them ridiculously cheap and leave little parts to break. The Bayanihan appears to have appeared some time ago, and has been replaced by another model.
This one in Malaysia but also sold in other SEA countries, is the Maxus V80 van.
GWM Poer going off roader and being reviewed in Nepal.
Lotus