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I'm wondering out aloud if dirty air makes tailpipe emissions even worse. My hypothesis: the dirtier the air - the less oxygen needed to combust - the more toxic gases that make emissions worse. It would be interesting to do an emissions test with the same car in:

Houston on an ozone-alert day
A place like Tonakwa, OK with relatively clean air
Denver, CO on an ozone-alert day
A rural mountainous location also at 5,280 feet.

I think it doesn't matter.

Hi Chuck:

___A PZEV will actually clean up the air it drives through if it is heavily smog laydened. If it is pristine as in OK. or a mountain top possibly, even a PZEV emits HC’s/NMOG, CO, VOC’s, NOx, and PM although it is a trace amount vs. most. GHG or CO2 wise, a gallon of gasoline consumed is 19.6 #’s into the air :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Chuck:

___A PZEV will actually clean up the air it drives through if it is heavily smog laydened. If it is pristine as in OK. or a mountain top possibly, even a PZEV emits HC’s/NMOG, CO, VOC’s, NOx, and PM although it is a trace amount vs. most. GHG or CO2 wise, a gallon of gasoline consumed is 19.6 #’s into the air :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Ive got into this same argument with co-workers.

So I should drive more on ozone action days? :D

Hi Chuck:

___The Insight 5-speed is a ULEV on LS fuel, not a PZEV so it will contribute to smog on Ozone alert/action days :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I forgot. :o