Gas Prices

[Holden McGroin]

Might be a good time to bring in the Smart Car.

Or get a 1981 VW Rabbit Diesel.

50+ mpg 28 years ago.

Here's a PU model for 3100 currently.

[Xasthur]

The 50-hp engine

 

No thanks.

[mg1942]

Might be a good time to bring in the Smart Car.

In city driving, the Fortwo gets a reported 46.3 mpg, while highway driving is an even more impressive 68.9 mpg. The 50-hp engine accelerates more slowly, but the electronic speed limit is the same, and the mpg ratings are the same as well.


http://auto.howstuffworks.com/smart-car.htm

No thanks until i get mine modded with SUZUKI GSX 1300 engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi_CgGGDglY&feature=related

[Tango]

No thanks until i get mine modded with SUZUKI GSX 1300 engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi_CgGGDglY&feature=related

Smart cars have been modified by Brabus of Germany, also to house motors from powerful Japanese sport motorcycles, such as the Suzuki Hayabusa 1352 cc inline four-cylinder (Smartuki being a notable example). These cars are known as "Diablos" ("Devils" in English). The most powerful models can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in less than 3.5 seconds.

[Holden McGroin]

These cars are known as "Diablos" ("Devils" in English).

No, El Diablo means fighting rooster.

[mg1942]

Those "smartsukis" make a perfect drift car

[Spikes]

After the war ends (if ever at this point) gas will go down.
It did after Desert Storm.

[narsus]

There is more than just one cause for current gas prices.

The value of the dollar certainly causes a problem, but how does this explain ridiculous prices elsewhere in the world?

Simple supply and demand, OPEC has not really increased its output of oil. Whereas the demand has increased dramatically over the last decade, more demand for energy, more cars etcetera.

So why such the huge increase in demand? simple just look across the Pacific to China and India. These two countries with massive populations are industrializing at a silly rate. That�s close to two billion people demanding more of the oil resources, once again don�t think just vehicles, and think energy as well.

As for those who buy by the liter paying so much for so long, buying from OPEC in similar to getting supplies for your businesses. Who is going to pay less per paper clip? The company that buys a thousand paper clips or the one that buys a million?

Without a doubt here in America the value of the dollar is impacting the prices, government tax certainly, but with only a certain amount of oil being pumped out of the ground prices with forever go higher. It also doesn�t help that the region is unstable due to our occupation.

Alternative fuels for cars and our electricity must also be looked into, power plants should rely less on fossil fuels (coal and oil). Others should be developed further and expanded.

Nuclear
Geothermal
Solar
Wind
Hydroelectric (including wind and tide)
Hydrogen fuel cells
Etc.

Just my $.02

P.S. The following link is the price breakdown of gasoline in California.

http://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/margins/index.html

[Captfish]

http://www.houstongasprices.com/price_by_county.aspx

Pretty coool site show the price of gas all over the states.

[Lumpy]

The value of the dollar certainly causes a problem, but how does this explain ridiculous prices elsewhere in the world?

Where "elsewhere in the world" do you mean? The price of gasoline has only increased by 2% in my country since 2005, and in the UK it has only increased by 12% since 2006. Hardly a dramatic increase considering an annual inflation of more than 4% in the UK.

[narsus]

Where "elsewhere in the world" do you mean? The price of gasoline has only increased by 2% in my country since 2005, and in the UK it has only increased by 12% since 2006. Hardly a dramatic increase considering an annual inflation of more than 4% in the UK.

I meant generally countries with smaller populations pay more at the pump than larger ones historically. With the numbers you gave 6% increase per year in gasoline cost and 4% inflation, that is a difference of 30% pretty dramatic i would say.

[Lumpy]

We in Europe pay ridiculous prices at the pump because fuel is heavily taxed. In my country 80% of the price is tax.

[narsus]

Hence my last link Lumpy, it's not any one cause it's several tied into one another which was the point of my post, look at the prices of crude over the last decade as well.

http://www.ioga.com/Special/crudeoil_Hist.htm

[Lumpy]

With the numbers you gave 6% increase per year in gasoline cost and 4% inflation, that is a difference of 30% pretty dramatic i would say.

Not dramatic at all. A 2% annual increase in fuel price compared to other consumer goods is in no way dramatic.

[Lumpy]

Hence my last link Lumpy, it's not any one cause it's several tied into one another which was the point of my post, look at the prices of crude over the last decade as well.

http://www.ioga.com/Special/crudeoil_Hist.htm

This is where I'm seriously starting to wonder about you. If the Dollar loses half its value, then naturally the price of oil, measured in Dollars, will double. However I'm not paying more of my country's currency for the oil since my currency has doubled its value compared to the Dollar. I am paying 12.70 NOK for one litre of petrol now. In 2005 I paid on average 12.54 NOK per litre.