Normally we don't blog the bloggers, but this gem from The Daily Kos blogging a Fast Company article caught our editorial eye (ouch): "The problem with Detroit isn't the laws of physics, it's the fact that a guy who never even went to high school can do things — with stock parts — that Detroit's auto executives and their armies of engineers claim is impossible." And what awesome feats of mechanical wizardry has Johnathan Goodwin achieved that earned the admiration of The Daily Kos? First up: inserting a diesel engine into a Hummer H2 and running it on grease from a Chinese restaurant. Next, bio-dieseling a '65 Chevy Impala for MTV's "Pimp My Ride," increasing mileage to 25 mpg and bumping-up the shove from 250 horses to an entirely useful 800hp. With the acknowledged help of Kevin Kluemper, the lead calibration engineer for GM's Allison transmission unit. But does that slow down the Kos' anti-Detroit rhetoric? Hell no. "Remember — Detroit tells us it's impossible to increase gas mileage without taking a hit on horsepower. Yet here's Goodwin — with an eight-grade [sic] education — able to design motors that blow the doors off the conventional (and obviously bullshit) wisdom." And then a look at Goodwin's latest project: a bio-diesel hybrid H2 with a jet engine turbine powering super capacitor batteries, with a hydrogen injection system to cut emissions in half. "Think about it: a 5,000-pound vehicle that gets 60 miles to the gallon and does zero to 60 in five seconds!" So I guess it's official: Detroit is either too stupid, lazy or arrogant to realize your can have your cake down at the CAFE, and eat it too. [NB: I'm being sarcastic.]
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One thing the original article delves into a bit, that Kos nor TTAC address it at all. Distribution of these alternative fuels and the very high cost of these modifications. I'm sorry, but $28,000 to get a diesel in an H2 is ridiculously expensive and could only be afforded by the most guilt-ridden eco-heads among us. Hydrogen injection? I guess I'm missing the hydrogen pump at my local gas station. I agree that this guy is uber cool for his abilities, but to say that Detroit is lame for not implementing this stuff is short sighted. I don't see any other manufacturers pumping out large economy vehicles either.
I am quite sure Mr. Goodwin could have executed his mechanical wizardry with a Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon, or Honda Accord. The fact he chose domestic makes has nothing to do with the larger arguement that ALL cars—irrespective of country of orgin—could probably increase gas mileage through engineering excellence. Remember, Toyota is now sitting at the same CAFE table in Washington as Detroit.
Wow, guys, I’m being sarcastic.
The whole blog post is about how ridiculous this take on Detroit is.
No matter what I think about Detroit’s prospects, I understand that they’re doing their best to do their best.
While I agree that the take on Detroit is more or less ridiculous, I think this story speaks well to the stifling nature of the megacorporation. Very little timely innovation can reasonably be expected from an organization employing tens of thousands of middle-managers and risk averse executives.
I don’t doubt that there are many smart engineers working hard to produce great vehicles, but part of the job of these massive corporations is to stifle true creativity and genius; to mash down intelligent people until they serve the narrowly defined roles designated to them. Outside, independent actors are necessary and not so surprising as they might seem; anything is possible and within the reach of properly equipped ingenious individuals.
It is indeed to culture of Detroit that is preventing the world-changing ideas of the engineers working for the Big 3 from ever making it to market. The greater truth here is that this is how things are done all across the marketplace and it will be a revolution if someone actually figures out how to effectively unlock and access the genius contained within every company.
Wow, this article is crazy! I don’t think anyone with a science or engineering background (let alone automotive) was let within 100 yards of this article!
Here are some of my favorite points:
“With a $5,000 bolt-on kit he co-engineered–the poor man’s version of a Goodwin conversion–he can immediately transform any diesel vehicle to burn 50% less fuel and produce 80% fewer emissions.” So what is this kit? A hydrogen injection system… And apparently this hydrogen fits no where in to the energy calculation. It just is magically and freely available.
“Goodwin, perhaps, can afford to be a visionary. He has the luxury of converting cars for fancy clients who’ll pay handsomely to drive on higher moral ground. (He charges $28,000 for a “basic H2 conversion to diesel”
The people who wrote this article seem to think diesel engines are some sort of mystical, futuristic device. A quick google search reveled several companies that will convert a Hummer to diesel, plus I believe GM is planning on coming out with a Diesel H2 next year; at much less than a $28,000 add on.
“Pound for pound, diesel offers more power and torque; it’s also inherently more efficient, offering up to 40% better mileage and 20% lower emissions in engines of comparable size.”
Wow, 20% lower emissions. I mean, that’s just plain wrong.
I think there is a factual error or exaggeration in every paragraph of this fastcompany.com article.
Sorry if I didn’t catch the sarcasm Robert, but TTAC is usually pretty harsh on Detroit, you know, with the death watches and nary a positive review of a Detroit ride other than the Corvette.
I read the original article yesterday and while I do honestly think that we can do better, the modifications in this article are impractical. I’d love to see more small diesels in light trucks and diesel-electric hybrids. That’s practical. Hydrogen injection and turbines tied to super capacity batteries, not so much.
kazoomaloo:
The greater truth here is that this is how things are done all across the marketplace and it will be a revolution if someone actually figures out how to effectively unlock and access the genius contained within every company.
Amen. And I reckon Chapter 11 is the key.
Of course there is no distribution network for alternative fuels. They’re alternative!
Also, the $28K cost isn’t saying any vehicle made his way will be +$28K in price. That price is the cost of having the engine, electronics and emission system of the original vehicle ripped out, the new engine, transmission, electronics, and whatnot sourced, the labor (lots) and overhead to do all that, some R&D costs, and finally some profit.
RF: Apologize a well for not catching you sarcasm—-need another cup of coffee !
The readers of the Daily Kos know automobile manufacturing like Pam Anderson knows chastity. I smile with these kooks drag the same tired complaints: “Detroit loves oil!” or “Detroit is Lazy.” Then some person who has no business building a mass produced vehicle steps up to the plate and fails to deliver … Tesla *COUGH* Motors.
It’s the circle of life. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
The original article and the Daily Kos diary are riddled with credulity. This is my (least) favorite: “Yet here’s Goodwin — with an eight-grade [sic] education — able to design motors that blow the doors off the conventional (and obviously bullshit) wisdom.”
Goodwin has done no such thing. As pointed out above, he is merely modifying cars in the American hot rod tradition.
I love how they make a huge deal about his schooling. Guy I used to work with at the BMW dealership did tuning work on Porsches, BMWs, Ferraris and Masseratis. He never went to college, just did high school, and was in the bottom % of his class.
He turns out well ballanced dyno tuned 600whp M5s like its just another day at the office, and we’d always have one of the Bass family’s Ferraris in to get that extra pony at the rear wheels.
Its attitudes like that that make me hate these so called “intellectuals.”
Thanks for letting us know about that sarcasm, though it could be highlighted more. I was also shocked that it was written in such a biased way.
Check out what some other dude says he can do with a different GM (well, GM-branded) product, the Metro:
http://www.knowledgepublications.com/hydrogen_car_dvd/h2_car_dvd.htm
Here are some Metro modifications/general driving techniques (some of which are realistic and reasonable):
http://metrompg.com/posts/efficiency-mods.htm
The Daily KOS folks obviously wouldn’t know a transmission from a transexual, but I share one perspective with them, there is a shocking lack of Diesel engine choices for the American consumer. If you (like me) prefer Diesel over gasoline you’ve had exactly three choices of cars over the past 10 years: Volkswagen, Volkswagen, or ONE E-class Mercedes. Oh, and those VW’s were base model trim with steel wheels and cloth seats.
I seriously envy the Europeans who can walk into almost any car dealer and buy a Diesel in almost any model and any trim. Ferrchrissakes they can buy Alfa Romeo Spyders with Diesel engines!
Yes, I know that GM produced a line of con-rod busting, craptastic Diesel sedans in the mid-80s that did all sorts of damage to the reputation of the fuel, but it is about time that Detroit gets over it. It is also about time that California give up quest to kill Diesel technology.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
Uh, somebody should tell the Kos folks that the main thing which has limited diesel availability in light vehicles in the US is emissions regulations combined with high sulfur contents fuels. These problems are being fixed, but not by some egomanic with an eight grade education.
Cake and eat it too? Someone needs to put an LS7 in a Prius. You got your horsepowers, you got your torques, and you got your aerodynamics. Probalo solvado.
The message of the KOS article is that large corporations are evil, stupid, and lazy. The other point is that the American laborer is an honest, hardworking genuis.
We have a lot of bad things going on in our large organizations, including government, but this story is over the top. Not surprisingly given the source.
If this guy’s stuff is really all that great, then even an evil, stupid, and lazy corporation would steal his ideas and create sub par copies. They haven’t, and are not even trying, so the argument falls apart.
As for the legend of the working guy, it’s true. One in a thousand are like that. Given the population size, that means we can find plenty of examples. Unfortunately, one reason large corporations are even close to being bad as they are is the other 999 workers out of 1000. Management must manage those people, so they end up being, well, management.
Be interesting to carry out an education survey on F1 pit crews (the top of the automotive technical knowledge tree) and see how many are engineering graduates – my guess is probably not many.
Any wily engineer knows that the success of his practical project lies in the hands of technicians with trade school educations.
A series hybrid with turbine power would be cool though.
A slammed H1? Why God, why?
RF must have added the [NB: sarcasm] partway throught the comments. Not that I needed the disclaimer: usually a sentence starting with “So I guess its official,” especially when following such hyperbole, is a pretty good indicator to switch on the sarcasm detector.
The Daily Kos blogger of course completely neglects the fact that what is possible on a one-off, custom, basis is not always simple or practical on a production basis. For example, there are thousands of home-built electric cars tooling around in North America. Ask Tesla (or GM for that matter) how simple it is to produce a reliable, marketable and practical (debatable with the Tesla roadster) electric car in volume even with checks in hand from buyers willing to plunk down $100k for every one of them they can produce for the first couple years.
The automotive industry is just that: an industry. They manufacture product which they intend to sell, in volume, at a profit. Innovation and engineering are part invention, part cost-benefit analysis. The fact they haven’t come up with a 40mpg diesel Hummer yet has nothing to do with engineering talent, but everything to do with the fact they aren’t interested in selling a couple hundred vehicles per year.
Why do clueless people opine about the stupidity of others in a public forum?
thank you Mr. Goodwin
Mr. Goodwin is clearly an ignoramus who wouldn’t know his own arse from an axle. I do not even know where to begin picking apart all these child-like fantasies……. Even his one-off customs are pure bull excrement.
My favorite (from the original article:) “Today, he’s thinking about taking his wife’s Infiniti, outfitting it with a tank of ether, and powering the engine via blasts of compressed air in the cylinders. “Zero emissions!” he crows.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diethyl_ether
What we have here is a village idiot who does not even know that he should know better.