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Automotive News & Views Report Your Local Gas Prices Here
8805 messages, Last post on Nov 27, 2009 at 11:25 AM
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the one barrel of oil for every illegal here from down south would only start to make up for the Uncle Sam deficit in that deal. That is forward thinking, though. 
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Replying to: iluvmysephia1 (Apr 08, 2006 12:35 pm)  Rocky |
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... that some espouse in this forum, I also don't think fat-cat oil company execs sit around smoking big cigars and figuring out ways to jack up the price of gas just enough to stay beneath the "outrage" threshold. If this were the case, how did they "let" prices get as low as 80 cents a gallon as recently as 1999? Similarly, I don't think it's time for a rerun of the French Revolution, bringing out the guillotines and slaughtering the ruling elite. However, it does appear some kind of comeuppance will occur in the November elections. The problem is in the mirror. We sat on our hands for over 30 years, hoping the looming oil shortfall would fade away like a bad dream. Now world demand is rising rapidly, what with the Chinese rapidly moving to the automobile -- and why shouldn't they? After all, we Americans been driving cars for a hundred years. (It's like us sitting on thousands of nuclear weapons and telling other countries they can't build them also -- not that I think Iran or North Korea should.) We passed the CAFE law way back in 1975, setting the average fuel economy rating for cars at 27.5 mpg, which was achieved in 1985, bounced around for a few years between that figure and 26 mpg, and finally back to 27.5 in 1990, where it's been ever since. Meanwhile light trucks (including pickups, vans, and SUVs) had their own much lower standard, and until very recently, little serious attempt was made to improve their required efficiency. During these 30 years, pickups have ballooned up from a typical 3500 pounds for a C/K 10, F-100, or D/W-100 work truck to around 5000 pounds for your garden variety Silverado, F-150, and Ram 1500 (V8 extended cab, with 2WD). SUVs have mushroomed from a small segment dedicated to sportsmen, farmers, ranchers, miners, forest service workers, etc. to as fintail so aptly puts it, "vacuous trophy wives" who drive(?) their leather-lined cocoons for their "look at me" factor. While large comfy sedans can now get an honest 26, 28, or even 30+ mpg when driven at sensible speeds on the highway, the big pickups and midsize and larger SUVs can't realistically get out of the teens; that is, no better than the mastodon cars we were driving in the 70s. Then there's the insane horsepower race -- gains in engine efficiency were squandered on ever increasing amounts of power instead of better fuel economy. Why do we need 300 horsepower Calibers, for example (SRT4 version)? The most fuel-efficient vehicle fleet was produced for the 1987 model year -- it's been downhill since. Finally, people are driving at speeds on the highway that would have been considered suicidal twenty or so years ago. I had a tour bus (a stupid tour bus, of all things) ride up on my rear and flash its brights at me for having the audacity to go 65 mph (the speed limit) in the far right lane of an interstate. Even the SLOW lane isn't slow anymore. I'm old enough to remember when I could get into the left lane of the PA Turnpike at 65 mph and pass a whole line of vehicles without having someone bear down on my rear. I also remember that cars routinely passed trucks -- and tour buses -- not the other way around. We were warned -- many times, but we did nothing. Now the outrage. What to do? Short term, if you can, drive less and carpool. I never thought it would happen, but 3 guys at my workplace started carpooling back in the Katrina panic days, and have stuck with it. Hybrids and clean diesels will help in the short term also. I think ethanol from corn is a joke for cost and efficiency reasons, and hydrogen and fuel cells are a pipe dream. Does anyone know if ethanol made from switchgrass or plant stalks would be less energy-intensive (although it'd still be less efficient -- we'd need bigger fuel tanks to get the same range.) Ok, enough for now, flame away!
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Replying to: 210delray (Apr 08, 2006 1:58 pm) me: au contraire; I agree with most of what you say. I also have been around long enough to experience the last 30 years of gasoline supply/price fluctuations. you: The problem is in the mirror. me: Exactly. And while higher gasoline prices are a problem for those living check-to-check, because of the wealth and relatively high income of the middle and upper classes, gasoline has not really affected the people who buy new cars. A typical person buying a $20K - $30K vehicle may not care whether it costs $150/month or $200/month for gas. The difference is probably less than 1% of their household income. you: "vacuous trophy wives" who drive(?) their leather-lined cocoons for their "look at me" factor. me: pickups and SUV's became popular when the interior comfort features became equal (or near) to cars. Many people said why buy a car when I can have a truck that does more. And many people have the $ to pay for it and the gas. you: Why do we need 300 horsepower Calibers, for example (SRT4 version)? me: In that case the SRT4 will get about the same mpg as the R/T model. But your point is taken about people choosing lower mpg/high hp cars over high mpg models. I do have to disagree with your thought that we shouldn't advance speed limits as cars have increased power, handling, brakes, and safer designs. Speed limits were 15 mph at one time and roads were dirt. As we have advanced, I don't see any reason to stop. you: We were warned -- many times, but we did nothing. Now the outrage. me: I suggest instead of outrage, we improve ourselves, becoming more productive, earning more. If we increase our economic power then we will have money to purchase autos and gas. If we want to buy goods from China and such, we send money to those countries to buy autos and gas that we'd otherwise use; and secondly we take better paying jobs from here, have people in low-paying jobs, and then we have a whole bunch of people who can't afford gas (or health care). It's very simple: If you want something you better make some money, and be willing to pay more for it than the other guy.
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fintail - OK, so you're not in Canada but you fly the Canadian flag. Funny how there can't be a conspiracy to control the liberal media (I don't think there's a conspiracy it's just who they are) but the "neandercons" can be a conspiracy? And somehow the oil companies can collude to drive up prices even though they're the most watched industry in the world? 210delray - You're right on with a lot of your thoughts. Ethanol is going to be very expensive and less efficient to develop. We need to keep doing the R&D to find alternative energies but there's a long way to go. ANWR anyone?
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Today Saturday April 7th, 2006 in and around Ann Arbor Michigan I saw gasoline selling for between 2.69/2.75 per gallon for regular. Driving season will start here in about 1-2 weeks, so short term, I expect prices to continue their steady climb.
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Replying to: elgrande (Apr 08, 2006 3:42 pm) Bravo, your eyes work. You know, people sometimes travel. "but the "neandercons" can be a conspiracy" I said that? Where? Read again...the consipracy idea is a distraction the neandercons use to get the lemminglike masses under a little more control. Fear and faith. "And somehow the oil companies can collude to drive up prices even though they're the most watched industry in the world? " Well, the numbers can't really be explained. It doesn't matter if you are "watched", when you make the world go round, you can move as you please. It's like the idea held by capitalistas that a completely deregulated labor market would not result in massive downward wage pressures by modern day robber barons because such collusion is illegal. Laws are only worth so much. I think last year's little energy bill shows where things really lie... You're in Seattle I take it...prices are up 40 cents in the past 30 days. Can it really be explained in something other than a classic old 'supply and demand' cop out? I have no doubt it will spike again around September, and slowly fall. Two steps forward, one step back. Your use of "they" is telling. Lemee guess...disguruntled Rossi supporter... |
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Replying to: kernick (Apr 08, 2006 3:18 pm)
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I'm hoping gas gets up to $5 per gallon and diesel drops to $1.25 per gallon. I would like the highways to be vacated before I take off on my cross country adventure in my RV.
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Replying to: fintail (Apr 08, 2006 4:41 pm)  Rocky |
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