Local fuel price jumps

On Sunday the Sunoco was $3.99 (premium and diesel). I went back today to top off and premium is $4.07 and diesel is $4.08. That's a significant jump in 48hrs.

I believe 87 octane is listed at $3.89 and 89 $3.99. I know we are lower than other States but its just tough to see our prices finally heading over $4.

 

Because of this we'll probably drive our Prius when we go on vacation instead of our small SUV. When the prices are this high the difference in MPG really hits the wallet.

 

Fuel costs in the UK are over $7 a gallon; wonder if that's why they have so many fuel efficient cars, and actually use public transportation....

 

Fuel in the UK is so high because it is taxed at around 85% - the rest of Europe is much cheaper in comparison, and road tax for SUV/Trucks/mini vans type cars is really high aswell - which is why there are way less on those on the roads over there. Its the UK governments way of trying to ensure that people use more fuel efficient cars (aswell as recoup more money to pay debt), and it works!

 

I don't want my government taxing my behavior. JMO.

 

According to CNN, in 2005 gas prices in the Netherlands were 6.48, Norway 6.27, the UK 5.79, Germany 5.57, Japan, 4.24. My point is, that maybe we should count our blessings, get smaller cars, drive more efficiently (i.e., slower!), use more public transportation, walk and ride our bikes more, advocate for better public transportation and alternate forms of energy, etc.

I drove on the roads in the UK for a few years, (and they do have a lot of cars on their roads!); I rarely saw large cars that got low gas mileage. Mostly lorries that were delivering goods, and they used diesel.

I think that cheaper, more fuel efficient vehicles (like diesel, and other alternative fuels) could have been a reality long ago, if not for the oil and car companies who have a vested interest in keeping us buying their products, and people who are easily swayed by the propaganda those same companies put out.

 

I think it's a combination of all those things. Some people like big vehicles. Some people don't care about gas mileage. Some people don't think about the environmental impact. For some people it's a status symbol to drive and to drive a big car. The oil industry has a vested interested in keeping itself profitable so they will make and push what makes money for them. If people are still making their choices irrespective of gas mileage and environmental impacts then that's what the car companies will make.

My neighbor drove a Jeep Wrangler for years because it was what he liked. He didn't care about the poor gas mileage.

For people who care about this issue, it's a big deal but there are a lot of people out there who don't concern themselves with it. Of course, as gas prices get higher and higher more people BECOME concerned with it...

We bought a Prius a few years ago when gas prices were like this. Since that time we have an average of 51 mpg in that car. Our CR-V gets about 23 mpg. 23 mpg used to be considered pretty decent, but the times they are a changin'. And at $3.75/gallon, it makes a big difference.

 

I am really interested to see where Telsa goes with its products and ultimately pricing.

The Model S is a great looking car, seating for 7, 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and is going to offer 160, 230 and 300 mile range batteries. A 45min quick recharge and off you go.

http://www.teslamotors.com/models

The challenge is pricing. At $49k with a 160mile range, the 300 mile range battery adds $20k to the price.

I would be interested to know what it costs to charge an electric-only vehicle. How does it compare to the dollar per gallon standard? If we spend $50/wk for fuel, what does an electric car cost? This page provides some information but it is Telsa's PR: http://www.teslamotors.com/goelectric/efficiency

Surely, there are many hurdles to cross before we view fully electric vehicles as a realistic choice but I hope companies like Tesla are successful. The technology is exciting and it can't get affordable quick enough.

 

+1

I have seen the same where I work. The Europeans, including the Norweigans, buy big and fast. At home, the tax on the car (especially engines with greater than 3 liter displacement) and the price of fuel keeps them in small cars with small engines.

As for diesel in the EU, it is taxed at a lower rate than gasoline. This price signal set by the government combined with its greater mpg is what has encouraged its use. The gasoline that is not being consumed in the EU is heading over here. The diesel that is not consumed in the US is heading back on the same tankers to the EU. In the end it is a zero sum game (except for the fuel being burned to transport it). The molecules in crude oil will be consumed somewhere by someone.

-Jim

 

It's not just the tax that keeps them in small cars, there simply is not the infrastructure to support big cars or SUVs in the UK. From roads to parking spaces, it's completely impractical.

 

Having grown up in Germany, the public transportation system was a lot better than what we have here. There was not much reason to own a car and taxi cabs were not that $$.

 

We'll figure out a better way - when the oil supply has completely dried up...I'm starting to think that this is unfortunately what it's going to take. Look at the math of pushing something like 3500 lbs of metal and fuel to propel a 170 lb human? That is simply a ridiculous waste of energy (speaking as a guilty party myself).

Maybe the quest for H3 on the moon will help up achieve that holy grail of unlimited energy through fusion (as seen on disco or natgeo the other night). That or figure out how to better harness solar. Saw some off the wall stat the other day that estimated that solar energy hitting the planet daily exceeds total human energy consumption by a factor of 20,000.

 

Also I'd be interested in seeing a metric demonstrating an annual sum total of fuel consumed by the cars sitting still in rush hour or other traffic hang-ups in the US...