Confusing claim by Nissan

[White95Max]

In a brochure booklet that I got a couple years ago at the Chicago Auto Show, it says this in the Sentra section of the booklet:

The Non-Alternative Alternative.
Meet Sentra's conscience. The 1.8-liter Sentra sold in California as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV). The cleanest gas-powered vehicle in the world. To better explain what this means, just imagine your car parked in the driveway with the engine off. Now imagine driving the 1.8L Sentra to work. Which one emits more pollution? You got it. Your parked car. There really is no alternative.

[Danase]

Originally Posted by White95Max

In a brochure booklet that I got a couple years ago at the Chicago Auto Show, it says this in the Sentra section of the booklet:
The Non-Alternative Alternative.
Meet Sentra's conscience. The 1.8-liter Sentra sold in California as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV). The cleanest gas-powered vehicle in the world. To better explain what this means, just imagine your car parked in the driveway with the engine off. Now imagine driving the 1.8L Sentra to work. Which one emits more pollution? You got it. Your parked car. There really is no alternative.

I would hope they meant engine on and not off. LMAO If not I am not going to stand next to my parked car anymore!

[truzoom]

Max are you that bored? Reading through old brochures? Or perhaps you were on the can and grabbed what was nearby...

I had a chance to detail a Sentra recently and it had a very nice ride and the engine was pretty good. Something I would definitely consider as a daily driver or even possibly one for AutoX.

[White95Max]

That's what I was thinking, but even so, there are plenty of other SULEVs out there that could be our car. Are they saying that an idling SULEV (say, Honda Civic) will emit more pollution than a Sentra that's driving? That still doesn't make sense to me.

[White95Max]

Originally Posted by truzoom

Max are you that bored? Reading through old brochures? Or perhaps you were on the can and grabbed what was nearby...

I had a chance to detail a Sentra recently and it had a very nice ride and the engine was pretty good. Something I would definitely consider as a daily driver or even possibly one for AutoX.

No I was searching for receipts on my closet shelves and came across the brochure and a bunch of old pictures. I also found a bunch of pre-Autopia Maxima pics in a hidden folder on my computer!
I took an inventory today, because for a long time I've been wondering the value of all my supplies/equipment. Today I will find out for sure once I come up with the total! I'm sitting around here, waiting for the UPS guy to bring me my package of chemical-resistant spray bottles from US Plastics.

[G35stilez]

It makes up for my catless polluting Integra

[Danase]

Originally Posted by White95Max

That's what I was thinking, but even so, there are plenty of other SULEVs out there that could be our car. Are they saying that an idling SULEV (say, Honda Civic) will emit more pollution than a Sentra that's driving? That still doesn't make sense to me.

Is the Civic SULEV? I thought it was only a ULEV?

[Mikeyc]

Originally Posted by White95Max

That's what I was thinking, but even so, there are plenty of other SULEVs out there that could be our car. Are they saying that an idling SULEV (say, Honda Civic) will emit more pollution than a Sentra that's driving? That still doesn't make sense to me.

I think this brochure was poorly written and then poorly edited. I'm sure we can all agree that they meant a car idling with the engine on and not off. I think that when they say "your car" they're referring to a non-low emissions vehicle. I don't think Nissan gave any thought that your car might be ULEV or SULEV.

[White95Max]

I thought that the first time I saw a SULEV sticker, it was on a Civic's window. But I could be wrong. Maybe it's just an ULEV.

Mikeyc, certainly nobody can disagree that it was poorly written and poorly edited. You're probably correct that Nissan assumed the reader drives a non-SULEV or non-ULEV.

[Danase]

Originally Posted by White95Max

I thought that the first time I saw a SULEV sticker, it was on a Civic's window. But I could be wrong. Maybe it's just an ULEV.
Mikeyc, certainly nobody can disagree that it was poorly written and poorly edited. You're probably correct that Nissan assumed the reader drives a non-SULEV or non-ULEV.

They probably figure most people in the states drive gas hogging SUV's or something. LOL

[TortoiseAWD]

I may be mis-remembering here, but I vaguely recall reading somewhere that the SULEV vehicles, when run in an environment already high in pollution (e.g. California) pump out exhaust that is better quality than the ambient air. Apparently, the catalyst is so efficient that it not only neutralizes its own exhaust, but can break down pollutants already in the air.

That would correspond with Nissan's (poorly worded) claim that their car emits less pollution when driving than parked . . . in theory, it's scrubbing other cars' exhaust gases, too.

Tort

[kompressornsc]

Originally Posted by TortoiseAWD

I may be mis-remembering here, but I vaguely recall reading somewhere that the SULEV vehicles, when run in an environment already high in pollution (e.g. California) pump out exhaust that is better quality than the ambient air. Apparently, the catalyst is so efficient that it not only neutralizes its own exhaust, but can break down pollutants already in the air.

That would correspond with Nissan's (poorly worded) claim that their car emits less pollution when driving than parked . . . in theory, it's scrubbing other cars' exhaust gases, too.

Tort

I can remember the hype about that-cars that actually clean the air. Been a few years since I've heard anything about it. Made sense at the time-think there was a story on 60 minutes.