Well, the gas stations were empty today.

[keith]

If there is an overall drop in gas consumption, it'll put some downward pressure on prices and that's just fine with me.

The price of gas is set by world supply and demand. Exxon don't set the price of oil. With China and India out there buying up what used to be "our oil", we have to get used to high prices until a real alternative is developed and we convert to nuclear power for most of our electricity. If gas costs more in e.g. Europe because of higher taxes there, well boo hoo. Sucks for them. You might want to check out their unemployment rates and economic growth rates too.

We can't even extract much of our own new oil, so the finger pointing can start right here at home. We aren't taking this seriously, otherwise the rigs would be drilling and nuclear plants would be rising.

 

[Papa Bear]

Keith said "The price of gas is set by world supply and demand."
OPEC decides to lower production, my price goes up.
Some speculator decides to over-react to OPEC lowering it's production, and bids up the price...my price goes up.
Every time the tail waggs, this dog's price goes up.
One thing is certain, WE WILL GET WHAT WE DESERVE.
P.B.

 

[wavinwayne]

Thank goodness my underground bunker is almost complete.............Things are getting too crazy topside. Over.

 

[Pontius Pilate]

the thread wasn't shut down yet because everyone is talking about politics in general, not blaming any one party, thereby causing a fight... i don't see much of an issue with that since i believe politics as a topic was banned to prevent any bickering and fighting about party v.s party.....i'd say most of us can agree that all parties take money for favors from different industries... when we are ALL getting hit it turns into all of us v.s all of them, cause ain't no one over there doing anything about it.

heres another article as of today, on fortune about who's to blame

http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/12/magazines/fortune/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm?cnn=yes

basically they say that politicians won't say anything about it until campaign time to use it as fuel to win (then do nothing about it when they do win, suprise suprise) and that OPEC is to blame not big oil.... more of the same...

i'd just like to know how it is that exxon tops the list in profits when it is someone else in another country who sets the prices.... totally out of exxon's control right? yeah....

 

[johnsmith]

Come on over to Illinois and watch everyone do the "NIMBY shuffle" as new ethanol plants spring up like weeds on the edge of town!

*whew* All this sweaty anticipation has got me ready for some good ol C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E! So... if I clear out the junk in my front seat, you're saying someone can ride with me in my car? Well, I guess that makes sense; I'm willing to try anything at this point!

 

[Benzadmiral]

There's another little detail: The fuel efficiency of cars has not improved relative to the cost of gas. In fact, it's gone way down.

Let's take the mid-70s, when I began driving. A reasonably fuel-efficient car like my Ford Maverick got about 15 mpg overall. Gas cost about 50 cents a gallon for regular. So I shelled out $1.00 to drive about 30 miles.

Fast-forward to today. Fuel efficiency of many cars hovers around 30 mpg . . . but gas is edging in on $3.00/gallon. So for $1.00, we only get 10 miles of driving!

For fuel cost per mile to be even the same as in 1975, the average efficiency of your typical sedan should be 90 mpg! Even the hybrids can't do much more than half that!

We been screwed. Royally.

-- Paul

 

[oilyriser]

If I owned a gas station, and anticipated a sudden drop in gas prices, I'd let my tanks go dry, and wait. Maybe that's why the stations had no gas.

 

[javacontour]

OPEC doesn't even set the price.

OPEC has production targets. They know if they control the supply of crude oil, that the price will be bid up to a figure.

It's not exact, but they can say we want to get $70/barrel for oil, so we have to cut production to X barrels.

That's all OPEC can control, how much they produce.

If you want to drop the price, there are two things you can do:

1. Increase supply
2. Decrease demand

Americans do not seem willing to do either. There is resistance from the left to increasing domestic production of oil. There is resistance from the right regarding real conservation.

However, I see rising fossil fuel prices as a good thing in the long term. It will encourage other technologies and energy sources.

As long as oil is cheap, there is little incentive for change.

If gasoline goes to $5+/gallon, I think you will begin to see change again.

 

[OriginHacker21]

It is simple... gas prices are not high enough for change. People will complain as it goes from $3/gal to $5/gal but until then nothing will be done.

 

[The_Jeff]

Origin is right. We are about at the point where we think other people should change their habits so we personally can get cheaper fuel.

Soccer moms should get practical minivans.

Other people should carpool.

Other people should work from home, telecommute, work 4 day weeks.

Other people should grocery shop on their way home from work and combine trips.

Other people should keep their cars tuned up and tires inflated.

But not "me".

I need my x to tow a boat once a year.

My office is too small and noone lives out by me. Besides, my schedule varies b/c I skip out of work 1/2 hour early when noone is watching. Bob gave me a ride to lunch once and I don't like his radio stations.

And I can't telecommute, b/c I don't really know what I'm doing, and mooch expertise from the rest of the office.

My kid has a runny nose and we're all out of grape cough syrup. He won't take the cherry. I have to go to walgreens because you can't fool around when it comes to childrens' health.

The guys at the tire store say my check engine light is something their computer can't fix and it can't be serious. Jiffy lube always checks my tires, it says so on the receipt, I am so glad I take such good care of my car.

------------

So you won't get instantaneous results. It will take ~3 years for the average shmuck to trade in one family vehicle and have the opportunity to consider mileage.

When changing jobs, a job closer to home might be more appealing... but an extra $3000/yr from a better, further job will buy a lot of gas even at $3/gal. And people don't often change jobs on whims.

 

[Pontius Pilate]

you guys talking about $5 a gallon are right, probably nothing will be done... everytime gas hits $3 a gallon i start thinking about those kids in philly who made the biodiesel 50mpg 0 to 60 in 4 sec exotic looking sports car... i don't see why that couldn't be done on a large scale if some kids could do it, but whatever...

Benzadmiral - very interesting, sort of like minimum wage and the cost of living...i guess not everything follows a formula.

might not look super attractive (sorta rx-8 ish) but i would throw down $30k for it if i had 30k

http://evteam.gambitdesign.com/gallery/album14/painted_2

 

[JHZR2]

eljefino, great post with excellent case-in-points.

My father has always been in gas chrisis mode, since the early 70s... never changed...

He is loving the MB diesel he drives, still has the room and safety., but with 36 MPG. Too bad in NJ diesel is pretty expensive (while gas is amongst the cheapest in the country).

He taught me well... and Ive been in gas chrisis mode. I bought a pickup in 98 when gas was 80c/gallon, and I still have it... I just bought a more efficient car to make up.

I agree that its tough to change lifestyle, but thats why people need to learn to think befre they act (and in purchasing a vehicle is only scratching the surface). All the same I drive to extract maximm efficiency, and drive smaler more efficient cars, but the higher costs hit me all the same.

JMH

 

[Korean_redneck]

If it gets around 6$ or over.. i might consider purchasing a car 1.5L or under.(not Chevy Aveo. It sucks gas for a 1.5L banger)

 

[The_Jeff]

My next commuting ride might be a motorcycle.

 

[JHZR2]

I have a ford focus rental car... long term for work... I drive it the same way that I do all of my own cars, log every tank just the same, etc... the car is only returning 30-32 MPG... This STINKS! So much for being an economy car... And its not from short use either... how about a Philadelphia to atlanta drive...

Manufacturers need to start extracting real economy frm the small cars, idiots need to realize that an economy car isnt a performance automobile, and that they dont need 130+ hp from a small car, and the EPA needs to get smart and realize that the gross tonnage of greenhouse gasses on even a non-catalyzed econmy car is FAR less than that of a v8 vehicle... Impose tighter constraints on the big engine stuff, and reduce emissions controls on the tiny engines, so that they can get even better fuel economy and thus reduce their emissions accordingly...

Sorry, but the reality is that my 91 BMW which barely squeaks by NOX emissions is still spitting a LOT less than a PZEV F150 V8 truck.

JMH

 

[OriginHacker21]

quote:

---

Originally posted by eljefino:
My next commuting ride might be a motorcycle.

---

Couldn't have said it better than myself... If you don't get a fast bike I hear you can get 60+mpg! Thats double what I get in my "economy" car.

 

[Korean_redneck]

I say we ask the europeans for help.. Renault, Peugeot, Fiat, Lancia etc etc.

 

[surfstar]

javacontour,

If I go back in my gas records to 3/2002 and add up all that I've spent in gas (don't worry its in Excel and took 2 secs) I come out with $5836.05. The average $/gal is $2.125. That doesn't include the 10 months of MPG data that I didn't save the $/gal info on. If I did I would be around $6500 in fuel during the period from 5/2001-present.

I bought my car for $5200 in 5/2001. With maintenance costs, my overall $ in my car is more than the cost of the gas, but not by much.

Yes gas is a very significant amount of the operating costs of a car. Oh and my avg MPG is 32.80 over that period, so I'm not driving a guzzler either. Imagine how high the cost of fuel would be if I was!

 

[Al]

quote:

---

Originally posted by OriginHacker21:

quote:

---

Originally posted by eljefino:
My next commuting ride might be a motorcycle.

---

Couldn't have said it better than myself... If you don't get a fast bike I hear you can get 60+mpg! Thats double what I get in my "economy" car.

---

Ny little Ninja 250 gets 75 mpg. And its not really slow. Just slower.

 

[The_Jeff]

Well said JHZR2! California tried to regulate CO2 emissions but the feds stepped in and said "no way". I'd love to see a credit against NOx and particulates if CO2 (eg fuel consumption) were low enough. Then we'd see some nice little diesels as well.