$4-a-gallon gas forecast in some areas

[bob_ninja]

If you are intereseted in the *REALITY* and *FACTS* see this:

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3726

That site has a bunch of experts and lots of data, real analysis, as opposed to blaming "greenies"

 

[bob_ninja]

$4 gas will certainly change habits. It just takes a long time. As number of defaults starts to rise you'll see a much more rapid change.

I have money for a bigger car, but don't base my buying on how much money I have. I had my fun on a used $3K Ninja ZX6E. Why waste money on huge car engines when bikes are cheaper and much faster?!?!

I car pool to work with my wife in a 13 year old Honda Civic CX 1.5L Again, this is fine for my *NEEDS* even if it is not much "fun" If I change my job and we stop driving together I will downsize. Last time it was a 0.6L motorcycle and this time it will be Smart 1L car. Again, 1L engine is what I *NEED* and is a lot cheaper than bigger machines.

I hear you about your frustration - we try to save while most anyone else doesn't care/try. I feel that way too, especially when I am being passed by SUV and vans. Still, long term we'll have a better financial state while others will be in trouble. So habits will change one way or another (easy or hard way).

While I don't want to judge others or tell them what to do or not do, we *ALL* have some sort of responsibilities to others and our children, like not leaving them with a several trillion debt to pay, fubared enivronment and $10/gal gasoline. People seem to be interested far more in their rights and far less in their responsibilities these days. Look where it got us thus far.

 

[Titan]

"People seem to be interested far more in their rights and far less in their responsibilities these days."

Nice Signature line!

 

[glennc]

Originally Posted By: bob_ninja
$4 gas will certainly change habits. It just takes a long time. As number of defaults starts to rise you'll see a much more rapid change.


I think that is very likely true. We are so wealthy and fuel is a relatively small enough proportion of our GDP that you do not see major changes yet even from the huge runup in price. However I have already noticed some changes, mainly at the margins, such that there seem to be a lot fewer old trucks on the roads, 'cause the people who tend to drive old trucks can afford the gas at $1/gal but not easily at $3. The people who buy new trucks can mostly afford the gas, but even they I think are shifting their use and interest towards more fuel-efficient vehicles and possibly driving a bit less in some cases. It will take years to see big changes in the entire vehicle fleet since only a small portion of it is replaced each year. And even with $3 gas, it costs less to drive places than to get there any other way, if you look at it in terms of both money and time spent.

By the way I just got my best-ever mileage out of my old 3-series BMW. Using every trick in the book and with favorable weather and driving type I managed 570 miles on a tank, which worked out to over 36mpg. Not bad for an old-tech high-mile straight six! My average is maybe 31.

 

[GrtArtiste]

For almost a year now, I've been able to telecommute. I used to rack up at least 300 miles a week. Now it's less than 150 and sometime less than 100. So, even with the price increases I'm better off. Though I'm stuck driving an old Chrysler Concorde that I can't afford to replace, I can get by.

GrtArtiste

 

[oilyriser]

It is an illusion that fuel is a small percentage of the GDP. Take a poor agrarian country that spends a high % of their money on fuel, and see how they do without fuel. Their GDP might drop by 50% as they go back to traditional modes of transport. Take a rich mechanized country that only spends ~5% on fuel -- remove the fuel from the USA and see what that does to the GDP.

 

[glennc]

That's like saying that a car won't work without its wrist pins so therefore the wrist pins are the most important part on the car.

 

[oilyriser]

it can run with one missing. Or put in a rotary engine.

 

[glennc]

Rotary engine: high specific output but uses a lot of gas. Sounds like we already have one.

 

[Titan]

Wankel means Wasteful in German. JK.
B-)

 

[M1Accord]

Originally Posted By: GrtArtiste
For almost a year now, I've been able to telecommute. I used to rack up at least 300 miles a week. Now it's less than 150 and sometime less than 100. So, even with the price increases I'm better off. Though I'm stuck driving an old Chrysler Concorde that I can't afford to replace, I can get by.

GrtArtiste


i used to drive 400+ miles a week dickening around now i cut back to 100. i live 2 miles from the office but i need to run back and forth between office and shop/test areas, which are 3-4 miles apart, so it adds up. i use thecompany cars/trucks when i have a lot of stuffs take with me but a lot of people are doing that too so there usually no vehicle available when I need to go out. And I hate taking the trucks, if they're available, if I don't have anything heavy to haul.

this past week i just calculated that I drove 120 miles just for running around. that's city limit miles that cost me easily 20 dollars in gas. and i was being very conservative and not running out back to the office unless i really had too. it's tough bro.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: M1Accord
i need to run back and forth between office and shop/test areas, which are 3-4 miles apart, so it adds up. i use thecompany cars/trucks when i have a lot of stuffs take with me but a lot of people are doing that too so there usually no vehicle available when I need to go out. And I hate taking the trucks, if they're available, if I don't have anything heavy to haul.

this past week i just calculated that I drove 120 miles just for running around.


Take the company truck! In fact start doing it now! If you can make a difference on your employer's balance sheet they WILL notice. Maybe then they will make some fleet purchase decisions that SAVE gas, and on a grander scale than you can do personally.

 

[TokyoJoe]

It's $5.30/gallon or 140yen/litre in Japan(based on the current conversion rate of 100yen = $1.00 and 3.785 litre = 1 gallon).
But I feel your pain in the states because majority of people's every day lives rely on the cars. Here, especially in Tokyo we mainly use subways, trains and buses which are safe, clean, on-time and cheap. And cars for fun over the weekends and vacations only. Also, here employers usually pay for your commute as long as you use the public transportations.