Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment Will Soon Be Banned In Cali, a broad category that includes generators.

[Affordable DC Generators]

Generac has their clean energy lineup and is introducing a DC version of their standby. Although it will be the same ICE engine as their AC standby so I'm guessing if CA cuts piston driven power it will be chopped as well. But company wise they have strategically entered into renewable power systems.

Most of the non-feedack carb engines back in the 80's ran rich all the time to lower NOx and used air injection to oxidize the HC and CO in the cat. Doesnt help thatbit was a pellet cat but basically that was the only strategy they had until feedback carbs to switch between rich and lean allowing for a proper catalytic converter.

Although power wasnt great look at just what Honda offered. Plenty of 40+ mpg cars in the late 80s and 90s. The CVCC from the 70s made 54mpg at its peak and met emissions WITHOUT a cat. Granted it was a lot slower by todays standards but jeez. Have we made progress?

I will say having been out of that industry for a decade, few things are made to a higher standard and faster then a modern automobile. But manufacturers have been doing what markets want and making fat bloated feature laden cars. It gets worse every year. I would guess that fuel efficiency is constantly being offset by weight just to keep pace with consumer demands. I mean do you really need air conditioned seats?

 

[Ampster]

I have not looked into the details but wonder if natural gas or propane generators will be exempt?

 

[12VoltInstalls]

manufacturers have been doing what markets want and making fat bloated feature laden cars

That is a realistic observation
When I mentioned any of several ’old’ cars that were serviceable and efficient for their time people jumped all over it, got stuck on a VW beetle reference for example.

Other than the Prius and Leaf market, there is truth that there isn’t a market for a super light weight basic automobile that is more transportation and less couch, entertainment, and feature laden. But to me, basic or cushy-comfort-connected: new cars have no character, appeal, or personality.

What if an affordable, basic, safe, ergonomic personal transportation vehicle were made with the low-cost factor in its class that is made in a few other classes? I think people would buy it. Look at the corvette! If ‘we’ can do that and bring to market at that price point, I’d argue that “we” can make interesting, affordable, efficient basic transportation. (The Corvette is interesting in this mind exercise because of its price in segment and relatively low volume while incorporating the latest in engineering. Tesla has done that to a degree. Technology isn’t the barrier; mission and focus seem to be the obstacles of the manufacturing side, reflecting the cultural bias towards and acceptance of homogeneous inferiority of the offerings.

 

[Porch]

They still make base model cars. They just don't tend to sell well except for fleet sales. GM looses money on sub $80k Corvettes. https://www.motor1.com/news/385310/gm-loses-on-base-corvette/

 

[Affordable DC Generators]

Maybe two different issues.

One is the weight trade off due to features. No doubt the number of ECMs increases. Have you ever picked up a modern power seat with heat and AC? Few hundred pounds. All the tech adds up. Along with the number of airbags also. So any power/efficiency gains are lost immediately. I will say I am impressed with my girlfriend's Ecoboost F150. It is massive and has seen 24mpg on 55mph roads. Only dips to 18mpg doing 80mph which is impressive for a crew cab giant interior sized 4wd truck. So displacement on demand works and had officially made a comeback. But far from the 92 Toyota pickup I had couldn't be any more simple/rugged/efficient.

It's plain and simple. Manufacturers want you the consumer to stay with them. So proprietary is the name of the game. Anything to kill the independent garage. Now with the advent of YouTube and cost decrease for diagnostic equipment it's still a fair game for some. I would say anything you can access the ECM it's still easy. Good luck working on your Chevy Bolt. Tesla is probably the worst offender of them all. Until consumers have open access to their vehicles this will always be the case.

I think the bad combination of fat lazy Americans wanting to drive gigantic wasteful vehicles and ever more stringent safety standards we will never see another simple economy box car ever. Granted I own an 80s Suburban with one ton axles and 35's powered by a newer 8.1 big block. So I'm an offender but it's a toy not a daily driver. Maybe as we move further into EVs electric repowering will become popular and simple.

 

[Porch]

FYI, all the auto manufactures (excluding Tesla I think, not sure why), have public websites where you can, for a fee, view and download the service manuals for your vehicle. It's required by law, but they don't go out of their way to advertise it. Not tried looking up a manual on the Bolt, but it should be there.

 

[Affordable DC Generators]

Yes but it always comes down to the factory scan tool which is cost prohibitive for one person to own, most shops can't afford it, and the aftermarket struggles to get ahold of the same feature set.

I will some some manufacturers are easy peezy. For $400 I can literally click into most GM computers and modify them.

It's always a struggle.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

That is a blackout for safety.... not a rolling blackout for lack of generating capacity.

splitting hairs.. does Gavins house have rolling blackouts for safety?

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Grizzly Flats is in the middle of nowhere. Home Despot is the closest big box store, and we have a True Value that is closer, so we never make it to the Lowes that is about 2 hours away. Appreciate the tips, but I know my gas powered saws and have all the stuff I need to keep them running. Not sure I'd be able to spend a day harvesting wood with a battery powered set up, unless I had a bunch of batteries and perhaps a charger to take into the field.

yep get yourself a 372Xp or a 346Xp and let the chips fly... and the trees hit the ground.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Touché

But I don't think the 80's cars were running rich to improve emissions. Air injection and cat did improve emission.
No particular harm to gas mileage so far as I know. Both carbs and mechanical fuel injection did this.

With O2 sensor and electronic injection, we got closed-loop mixture control.

[I disagree], They were running rich and I can crack (jailbreak for you youngsters) any pre OBD1 as well as anything made since thens ECU and show you where they were running richer to reburn to lower the NOX for air standards. which directly made the MPG lower. I can prove this easily, if you have not tuned a cars engine via a laptop(or via a wideband, EGT and a O-scope for timing on older cars with a carb) you have no clue what you are talking about. why do the mid 80's -late 90's chevies all have air pumps? "the only solution for pollution is dilution" there is a reason why that mantra is taught at every engineering school. even jet engines use bypass air from the compressor section to "clean up" their emissions whent he occasional standard changes for jet engines. they simply bypass more air and redirect back into the ass end to make the emissions look cleaner.

 

[12VoltInstalls]

and I can crack (jailbreak for you youngsters) any pre OBD1 as well as anything made since thens ECU and show you where they were running richer to reburn to lower the NOX for air standards.

There is the truth. We have the technology.
The VW diesel diagnostic low emissions programming “scandal” was humorous to me. Just a more direct approach to what’s been being done for 40? years.

The second thing that crossed my mind: if “they” can break and create ransomware attacks on reasonably well protected systems like the home health agencies and UVM here in Vermont, entering an OBD computer is easy- further, that just reinforces the idea that the technology is challenged. It’s not, really. What’s challenging is getting 120% of the work out of 100% of the BTUs of which ?30% is lost as heat. Maybe should have said moles of energy instead of btu but that is of course wrong too.

I think I’m correct in saying that you can’t actually reduce the carbon output of vehicle exhaust- just change the form/compound it exits the exhaust as.

Anyway, these carbon neutral promises by “2060” are stalls: if we’re really going to do something we need to stop some things, do more of others. If ‘developing’ nations weren’t permitted a lower standard THAT could boost technology- I think they’d find another way.

 

[time2roll]

splitting hairs.. does Gavins house have rolling blackouts for safety?

I believe Gavin lives in the city not a forest. Never a safety blackout at my city house either.

 

[camelCase]

I bet the Honda line of portable generators improves their exhaust output to keep selling in CA…

I'm pretty sure the ban is not contingent on reduced emissions levels for generators. Its an outright ban on all gas powered generators under 20hp.

This is going to have all sorts of ridiculous outcomes. Lots of 21hp tractors will be sold to folks who could get by fine with a push mower.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I believe Gavin lives in the city not a forest. Never a safety blackout at my city house either.

Exactly, since he does not experience them he does not care... IE: go eat cakes bishes

 

[time2roll]

Exactly, since he does not experience them he does not care... IE: go eat cakes bishes

Gavin cares about the safety of the people and prefers reducing the chance of forest fires.
The motivation is to do good for all.

The government also sends people into the hazard zone to evacuate people during a fire. Is that a political power grab and socialist control also?

 

[NwCali]

Gavin cares about the safety of the people and prefers reducing the chance of forest fires.

If the Government of Cali cared so much about fires then a LOT would be done different....

He heads the Government.

"sending" folks during a crisis the government helped create helps in the long run how if you don't fix the problem?

Just ONE example, the tree below I talked to the power company specifically about removing. I've emailed the local government about such trees. Not only did I get no where but I was told it was fine to be there. Not only did it take out the power lines when it fell but it also compromised the road. One just a few hundred feet from it left the lines dangling over the road burning for about a hour not long after. I have videos of this happening just down from there. Given how we know how dangerous this is for many reasons I can still give pictures of even worse trees in the area.

How does the state allow this still? Or local Governments? (its tribal land)

My suggestion was to move these lines over one valley to a area not nearly as step and not along a State highway, would only require minimum new lines ran in a far easier to access area. In the long run it would save a LOT of money, and be far less dangerous.

 

[time2roll]

I agree the right of way for the power transmission lines should be better maintained.
Until this gets worked out, the safety shut offs may continue.

Possibly the people that live in remote tree areas should be paying a higher rate for power to cover the cost of this choice of living. Not sure that is allowed in the rate plans. The solution is complicated even if removing that pictured tree seems easy.

 

[NwCali]

As I said moving the lines would be cheaper in the long run, I'm pretty much against Government mandating we spend more to do it less safe. After talking with them about this tree they cut down a tree on my property that didn't need to go, and spent days cutting down 2 more that would have taken me no time (with a crew of five). Worse yet they left one of the trees brush (and the tree) right below the power lines where it will dry out and create a fire hazard itself (as its under the lines).

The solution isn't (in this case) complicated, rarely is. The Government is complicated. As its filled with people with different agenda's.

But how does moving people to EV lawn mowers lessen the fire danger?

One can even question that our politics are driving the US population up, so, even if going electric cuts emissions the growing population will probably offset the gain...

Does it matter? When you watch lines burn on a road for 30 plus minutes cause of politics, yes.

This issue has a good bit to do with me getting into solar...

 

[time2roll]

I type this as I listen to the daily obnoxious leaf blower outside my window spewing smoke and fumes.
Nothing to do with fire danger.

 

[Ampster]

But how does moving people to EV lawn mowers lessen the fire danger?

It doesn't, and I do not think that was the purpose of that regulation.I think the main reason was air pollution. The rule was proposed by the California Air Resources Board.