The most fuel efficient car ever built: 2072 miles with 1 liter of fuel • Hacker News Board

Re: The most fuel efficient car ever built: 2072 miles with 1 liter of fuel

#51

Post by corin_ » Thu, Jun 05, 2014, 7:51 PM UTC

001sky wrote: post #48

corin_ wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There may be legal differences between types of car, but I don't see why three wheels should make it "not even a car". For example in the UK we had a mass-market three wheeler called the Reliant Robin, which was culturally considered to absolutely be a car (albeit a car worthy of having jokes made about it). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Robin

From your citation: It is markedly different from most mainstream cars due to its fibreglass bodyshell and compact three-wheeled platform which allow it a special taxation and licensing class under British regulations. Also, the Morgan I linked to is British and is very capable--far more so--as a piece of engineering. My guess is that three-wheel regulations were originally set up for motor-cycles with side-car. Thes…

My point is that culturally they can be considered cars, if they look like cars and function like cars. I'd argue that they are cars, even if they get taxed differently than most cars.

Re: The most fuel efficient car ever built: 2072 miles with 1 liter of fuel

#52

Post by 001sky » Sat, Jun 07, 2014, 3:26 AM UTC

corin_ wrote: post #51

001sky wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From your citation: It is markedly different from most mainstream cars due to its fibreglass bodyshell and compact three-wheeled platform which allow it a special taxation and licensing class under British regulations. Also, the Morgan I linked to is British and is very capable--far more so--as a piece of engineering. My guess is that three-wheel regulations were originally set up for motor-cycles with side-car. Thes…

My point is that culturally they can be considered cars, if they look like cars and function like cars. I'd argue that they are cars, even if they get taxed differently than most cars.

Fair enough, but in the linked article the example would not meet even your test of "Look like cars and function like cars"...because the thing is basically a luge-position with an aero-fairing. This was the starting point of my comment--its not a "car" really in any sense--because it fails the technical/legal/regulatory (not obvious) in addition to the practical/function (more obvious).

Re: The most fuel efficient car ever built: 2072 miles with 1 liter of fuel

#53

Post by prawn » Sun, Jun 08, 2014, 4:34 AM UTC

crussmann wrote: post #26

prawn wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assumed it was written by someone not using their first language and found it endearing as a result. Have to admit that wondering if it's written by an algorithm gives me an opposite reaction.

Definitely a translation, or written by a non-native English speaker. Things like using a comma as a decimal (0,03 liters) are a pretty big giveaway. I think what threw me the most was how SI and US units were mixed right in the title (liters and miles). Flipping through the rest of the site, it does unfortunately read like they're just churning out content to draw search traffic primarily for advertising.

"Flipping through the rest of the site, it does unfortunately read like they're just churning out content to draw search traffic primarily for advertising."

Sounds like most online news sites. And I see many errors (uncorrected typos) in articles written by professional journalists using their first language, and even after a proofread from an editor!