A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
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Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#2Jalopnik used to be full of car enthusiasts- this doesnt seem to be the case anymore. This guy has a decidedly anti big oil slant. Thats fine. I think big oil does need to be replaced by something renewable and cleaner, but I still dont really enjoy reading his series. Its a bit smug and virtuous for me. There are still a few good writers at Jalopnik. Jason Torchinsky, despite his extreme desire to see tesla/elon musk burn writes a lot of great stuff about the quirks of cars that you may otherwise overlook. David Tracy seems to be a glutton for the punishment that only rusty jeeps can supply. Mercedes Streeter has had a few articles I liked. By and large it seems that most of the regular staff writers hate cars, or at least cars that arent non tesla electrics/hybrids.
Now about leaded fuel. Back before say, 1970ish a lot of gas had an octane rating of between 40-70[1]. Refining oil was still an emerging technology. That being the case it seems like one of the by products of Natural Gas Liquids(called Natural Gasoline) was being used as pump gas. Lets pretend that you built a time machine and took your brand new 2022 camry with you to have a laugh that a consumer commuter car would be a super car back in the 1940s. If you managed to find fuel that was unleaded you would likely do irreversible engine damage on the first tank. If you filled with leaded, your catalytic converter would foul and then you would need to remove it to run leaded fuel. Lead was an additive because it prevents detonation in sub-optimal gas. After lead was outlawed they started boosting octane to do the same function. Fuel sucked, and it wasnt until lead was outlawed that refining higher quality fuels on a large scale became possible. I see the clean air act as a great example of successful regulation.
[1]https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-940-august-29-2016...
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#3Relatedly, the connection between leaded gasoline and the rise and subsequent fall in crime is woefully under-reported. It's been studied in the public health literature for a long time, and has only gotten a bit of reporting here and there, starting with Drum:
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/02/lead-exposur...
https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/02/an-updated-le...
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#4Jalopnik used to be full of car enthusiasts- this doesnt seem to be the case anymore. This guy has a decidedly anti big oil slant. Thats fine. I think big oil does need to be replaced by something renewable and cleaner, but I still dont really enjoy reading his series. Its a bit smug and virtuous for me. There are still a few good writers at Jalopnik. Jason Torchinsky, despite his extreme desire to see tesla/elon mus…
> Fuel sucked, and it wasnt until lead was outlawed that refining higher quality fuels on a large scale became possible
You seem to be arguing your point backwards to me. Lead was only outlawed when refining advanced to a level to permit economically viable high octane fuel without it.
The author would seem to argue they stopped looking for viable methods to avoid the problem when lead arrived, because its costs were pure externalities. Most of the problems with ICE are externalities. The NO burden in diesel for instance, or the PM10 thing, is not really any different to the lead problem. If you own stocks in Oil you don't care that its causing cancer to anyone who lives close to a road, or dumbing down kids, or causing global warning. Why would you?
I can't really disagree with your first point, But I suspect the future of jalopnik is to convince Americans (and it is mainly about Americans) to spend disposable income on either EV, or EV conversion of classic cars. If it sticks to its cylinders, it will become sidelined by the market shift: They'd rather try to define the shift and be part of the shift.
I love steam engines btw. I would totally love to have a stanly steamer, or the air pressure modifed 4-cylinder cars which started off silently because one cylinder was air forced and drove it until the other 3 started up some distance from your fine castle... But I don't see anyone selling me "Jalopnik for steam" which maybe is realistic, but sucks if you like steam.
If you love ICE, you won't like the future. It's going to be niche. Maybe Jalopnik is 25+_years ahead of the game here, which is (I freely admit) stupid.
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#5Does everything have to be written in this "there's a huge conspiracy" style? Is that what readers actually want?
The subtitle is "Part 8: People might have put less trust in leaded gasoline if they'd known how much of a shitshow the lab was that invented it"
And yet the word "trust" does not show up anywhere in the article.
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#6Jalopnik used to be full of car enthusiasts- this doesnt seem to be the case anymore. This guy has a decidedly anti big oil slant. Thats fine. I think big oil does need to be replaced by something renewable and cleaner, but I still dont really enjoy reading his series. Its a bit smug and virtuous for me. There are still a few good writers at Jalopnik. Jason Torchinsky, despite his extreme desire to see tesla/elon mus…
Both Jason and David just left jalopnik to start www.theautopian.com
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#7Jalopnik used to be full of car enthusiasts- this doesnt seem to be the case anymore. This guy has a decidedly anti big oil slant. Thats fine. I think big oil does need to be replaced by something renewable and cleaner, but I still dont really enjoy reading his series. Its a bit smug and virtuous for me. There are still a few good writers at Jalopnik. Jason Torchinsky, despite his extreme desire to see tesla/elon mus…
> Fuel sucked, and it wasnt until lead was outlawed that refining higher quality fuels on a large scale became possible You seem to be arguing your point backwards to me. Lead was only outlawed when refining advanced to a level to permit economically viable high octane fuel without it. The author would seem to argue they stopped looking for viable methods to avoid the problem when lead arrived, because its costs were…
> If you love ICE, you won't like the future.
I’m an ICE fan but I think the opposite. Let every soccer mom and commuter use electric cars, even self driving cars if we have the technology. Electric is perfect for them.
For those of us who like combustion engines, we’ll be happy that the remaining supply of fossil fuels is kept around for enthusiasts and collectors, and not wasted. With expiring patents and less competition from the big automakers we might even get to see increasingly interesting technologies. Heck maybe in 2040 we’ll be able to 3D print replacement engine parts at home. The future could unlock all sorts of possibilities.
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#8Jalopnik used to be full of car enthusiasts- this doesnt seem to be the case anymore. This guy has a decidedly anti big oil slant. Thats fine. I think big oil does need to be replaced by something renewable and cleaner, but I still dont really enjoy reading his series. Its a bit smug and virtuous for me. There are still a few good writers at Jalopnik. Jason Torchinsky, despite his extreme desire to see tesla/elon mus…
How does high octane fuel for aviation figure into the history of gasoline? If I remember correctly 100 octane gasoline was used for aviation during World War II before the rise of jet engines shifted aviation to using jet fuel.
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Fuel sucked, and it wasnt until lead was outlawed that refining higher quality fuels on a large scale became possible You seem to be arguing your point backwards to me. Lead was only outlawed when refining advanced to a level to permit economically viable high octane fuel without it. The author would seem to argue they stopped looking for viable methods to avoid the problem when lead arrived, because its costs were…
> If you love ICE, you won't like the future. I’m an ICE fan but I think the opposite. Let every soccer mom and commuter use electric cars, even self driving cars if we have the technology. Electric is perfect for them. For those of us who like combustion engines, we’ll be happy that the remaining supply of fossil fuels is kept around for enthusiasts and collectors, and not wasted. With expiring patents and less comp…
Prices for fossil fuel will be shockingly high though when the vast majority will use electricity.
Re: A brief history of gasoline: Searching for the magic bullet
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Fuel sucked, and it wasnt until lead was outlawed that refining higher quality fuels on a large scale became possible You seem to be arguing your point backwards to me. Lead was only outlawed when refining advanced to a level to permit economically viable high octane fuel without it. The author would seem to argue they stopped looking for viable methods to avoid the problem when lead arrived, because its costs were…
> If you love ICE, you won't like the future. I’m an ICE fan but I think the opposite. Let every soccer mom and commuter use electric cars, even self driving cars if we have the technology. Electric is perfect for them. For those of us who like combustion engines, we’ll be happy that the remaining supply of fossil fuels is kept around for enthusiasts and collectors, and not wasted. With expiring patents and less comp…
Of for fans? Sure. There are clubs for people who like penny farthings and special licences for cars without seatbelts. Maybe ICE cars will be on the shriners parade being driven by men in silly hats (ww2 vehicle owners do LARP on memorial day here, some people do the same on horses)