Emissions and the car industry | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Emissions and the car industry

The pedestrian-impact regs apply in EU to light-duty vehicles, but nobody in EU buys big pickup trucks for personal use. (Would you want to drive a F350 extended-cab duallie in Rome?) Although the regulation is EU-specific, the countermeasures have to be designed into the bodyshell, which means any vehicle that's designed for worldwide markets needs to be designed with the EU pedestrian-impact regs in mind even if the vehicle is actually sold here, so we get the EU pedestrian-impact compliance by default. Contractors and construction workers in EU drive vans, not pickup trucks, and people tow caravan trailers with cars.

The noses of light-duty vehicles are designed to come in contact with a pedestrian in a certain way (lower leg injuries are a lower risk than upper-body or head injuries) and the hood/bonnet is designed to give way when the pedestrian lands on it. Usually grilles and bumper fascias are just cosmetic, they're designed to just bend or break without doing much damage to a pedestrian. A blunt front end with the leading edge of the hood well forward (as on most pickup trucks) would be tricky, but I suspect they're some combination of not applicable (not sold in EU) or exempt due to GVWR or commercial use. The Tesla Cybertruck as originally advertised ("exoskeleton") would have had no chance, but I spied in the latest rounds of spy photos that the hood is stamped light-gauge sheet metal with a stamped reinforcement inside (i.e. conventional - and designed to give way in a crash ... as it should.)
 
You could sell that as a reality show. I'd watch it... at least once
There aren't many places in Europe that are friendly to big vehicles.

Another thing is very few Europeans can drive a pickup or full-size van through city traffic. For years I managed our company's trade shows in Europe, we'd be there for 2 weeks several times a year in different European cities. We always moved as a group in a van -- I always had to drive because none of our in-country staff were comfortable handling a 12-person Transit van.

If I recall correctly, many European countries allow their regular license holders to drive vehicles with up to 8 seats and vehicles up to 3500kg GVRW. That rules out anything bigger than a 1/2 ton pickup for the locals, but they allow Canadian and US drivers to rent and drive 12 passenger 1-tons.
 
Reverse at bottom right is the traditional Honda location for it. Reverse at top left next to 1st is the traditional VW location for it. Reverse at top left with 1st at bottom left (same gate as reverse) is the traditional 3 on the tree layout but there's been some 5-speeds built like that, too.


Facts. I was just poking fun but I do remember 3 on the tree days in the old pickup.


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California Hassling Classic Car Owners


Thought California was a mecca for cars and bikes
Coles notes.... to save people the 10 minutes.

CARB (California Air Research Board) is asking classic car owners for data on how they use their classic cars. This guy is pretty balanced in his comments but still a lot of whataboutism. Of some course people in the US are freaking out and jumping to the conclusion that classic cars are being banned.... CARB has been clear they are just gathering stats.

If they just wanted to ban them, they have the DOT registration data....
****
As for hot-rod culture. California and many other jurisdictions have been cracking down on emissions "modifications" for decades. For context, it was not uncommon here in Ontario for MOE guys to walk around car meets and take a looksee under the hood (when the hoods are up) and then pull selected people over outside the event....
 
The pedestrian-impact regs apply in EU to light-duty vehicles, but nobody in EU buys big pickup trucks for personal use. (Would you want to drive a F350 extended-cab duallie in Rome?) Although the regulation is EU-specific, the countermeasures have to be designed into the bodyshell, which means any vehicle that's designed for worldwide markets needs to be designed with the EU pedestrian-impact regs in mind even if the vehicle is actually sold here, so we get the EU pedestrian-impact compliance by default. Contractors and construction workers in EU drive vans, not pickup trucks, and people tow caravan trailers with cars.

The noses of light-duty vehicles are designed to come in contact with a pedestrian in a certain way (lower leg injuries are a lower risk than upper-body or head injuries) and the hood/bonnet is designed to give way when the pedestrian lands on it. Usually grilles and bumper fascias are just cosmetic, they're designed to just bend or break without doing much damage to a pedestrian. A blunt front end with the leading edge of the hood well forward (as on most pickup trucks) would be tricky, but I suspect they're some combination of not applicable (not sold in EU) or exempt due to GVWR or commercial use. The Tesla Cybertruck as originally advertised ("exoskeleton") would have had no chance, but I spied in the latest rounds of spy photos that the hood is stamped light-gauge sheet metal with a stamped reinforcement inside (i.e. conventional - and designed to give way in a crash ... as it should.)
Fun Fact:
The original 2008 Camero was too pointy for Europe. A new mold was created specifically for Europe that was slightly less pointy. Before the European camero launched, one of our nightshift workers bypassed something on a molding machine and destroyed the camero mold. GM worked with us to get the European project finished and from that day forward all cameros, domestic or international were slightly less pointy.
 

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