These fuel costs are depressing...

[Nappers]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

$3.999 87ocatane for us here in No. California.

Don't get out much, heck, hard to mow the lawn when taking the 5 gallon can to the gas pump, need a hybrid lawn mower.....

Aaron

[kelv2888]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

My 6.2 L V8 Denali is E85 capable but the nearest E85 pump is about 40 miles from me! Im filling up about $90-$110 a week twice!

[Mort Corey]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Wow...I gotta thank you guys more often for helping me out with my oil stock dividends. Just received my bill for last month @$96.50 so I'm not contributing to the cause much. Lucky I live pretty close to work as my Northstar V-8 doesn't get very good milage around town....even with two coats of #26. Some weeks I think I spend more time washing/polishing/waxing than actual driving.

Mort

[CosmoTiki]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Gas prices affect everything, $4.00 a gallon is right around the corner. Lets start a program like Brazil has, they produce fuel via sugar cane, Holland is using hydrogen in their cars and thermo engergy to produce electricity, where is the US in all this? We have the technology now, what are we waiting for?

Unfortunately no sugar cane (which, by the way is a fast growing GRASS) because US agri-corps like ADM get huge subsidies based no corn... politics, special interests and lobbying at their worst.

Note that cane takes a lot of water to grow. Not a problem in tropical/Amazonian Brazil (eco impacts set aside), but I haven't read any analysis of the feasibility of growing it in the continental US. Now sugar beets, on the other hand may be a good alternative and certainly better than corn.

Hydrogen is currently still too expensive to produce commerically w/o huge government subsidies (not good). Electric power for vehicles remains problematic due to the battery issues where breakthru's don't look very promising (lithium-ion is currently the best, but it can be very unstable and expensive to regulate charge/draw to prevent run-aways, per the notebook PC battery fiasco a year or so ago).

[hacker-pschorr]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Unfortunately no sugar cane (which, by the way is a fast growing GRASS) because US agri-corps like ADM get huge subsidies based no corn... politics, special interests and lobbying at their worst. fficeffice" />

Note that cane takes a lot of water to grow. Not a problem in tropical/Amazonian ffice:smarttags" />Brazil (eco impacts set aside), but I haven't read any analysis of the feasibility of growing it in the continental US. Now sugar beets, on the other hand may be a good alternative and certainly better than corn..

Field grass and hemp are better sources for ethanol over corn. I'm not sure how they stack up against sugar cane.

The #1 source for ethanol is algae. Right now Toyota is working on a plant to figure out a way to cost effectively extract the ethanol from algae.

Using any type of food crop for fuel is a bad idea and 100% political. Right now food prices are going up to get a few representatives from Nebraska and Iowa reelected.

Is this a good time to bring up term limits?

[HagFan]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

...

Using any type of food crop for fuel is a bad idea and 100% political. Right now food prices are going up to get a few representatives from Nebraska and Iowa reelected.

Is this a good time to bring up term limits?

I'm with you!

I don't think I can run my Civic Si on cow farts and corn. It needs the 91.

[Forever New]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Check out this Mini Cooper, why not just upsize everything and apply it to commercial vehicles? They need to apply this same concept to commercial vehicles. It obviously can be done. Who here wouldnt mind atleast 30-40 mpg out of their vans?

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/the_hybrid_mini.php

As far as making it affordable, they need to build a couple test mules. Put up the facts and figures, start a pre-order list, buy the van shells from one of the big 3 (ford, chevy, dodge, or whoever really) who want to be a part of this revolution in the commercial industry, and call it a day. I see 10k units being sold easy, especially with all of the gov't tax breaks, grant programs, and special loan programs for hybrid vehicles.

[Skuz]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

This extra fuel cost (currently about 1.30/Litre in Canada) won't bother me much in the short term with my 1.5L, 60 MPG engine, but I'm thinking about my RAV, even with a tiny 2.0L engine it's doing less than half these MPG because the vehicle is too heavy. That's gonna hurt next winter.

I don't believe there is any REAL reason for these prices other than speculation and greed.

[roushstage2]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Along side of speculation, include the new increase in global demand for it.

[Ryan L.]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Gas is getting annoying for my household. My school is 2.3 miles from my house with only 2 turns, and stop signs every 1/4 to 1/2 mile. No matter how slow I drive or what car I drive I get between 10-14 mpg. I have started to leave earlier in the morning so I don't hit any traffic and idle too much and I stay after school and just hang out so I'm not sitting in idle traffic then too. So far its helped a little bit but not much. Most of my other drives are between 5-8 miles so I don't get any free way driving and its all stop and go. We can spend upwards of $250 a week in gas to fill up the three cars, so about $1000 a month. Its getting pretty ridiculous and we've started looking into hybrids. We're think about the Prius for my mom which is supposed to live up to its MPG statements pretty well and sometimes even exceed it. But we still want a truck so were looking at the Tacoma to replace the F-150 which should get a lot better MPG's for us which would save us a lot of money. Even if we paid about $500 a month in gas that gives us another $500 to spend on car payments. But with the Prius we should be down to about $300 a month in gas, which gives us a extra $700 a month for car payments.

Hopefully we can figure something out!!

Ryan

[kellyinkc]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Far away up in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada's.

Agreed Kelly. We need the food right now, not the cars.

Yeah, look at the price of corn. And all grains for the matter. Rice is being limited to four bags at Sams now. The cost is up 70% this year.
Beef is up, eggs are up, milk etc. Something has to give.

There is a lot of speculation in the market so it may implode sometime. Hopefully.....

Kelly

[gb387]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

Gas prices affect everything, $4.00 a gallon is right around the corner. Lets start a program like Brazil has, they produce fuel via sugar cane, Holland is using hydrogen in their cars and thermo engergy to produce electricity, where is the US in all this? We have the technology now, what are we waiting for?

Sometime ago I watched a show on the Brazil fuel, rather amazing really and very interesting.

The more you think about it sounds like its the end of the large SUV/Trucks for the average Joe unless a really good and efficient hybrid pops up, I would guess the big truck/SUV makers are scrambling to get something together and keep sales rolling.

That said, I really don't think the prices of gas will ever go back down. Just have to dig deep into our wallets....

[Andy M.]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

$3.55 a gallon today in Philly. I'm sure it will go up again tonight. It's getting so that when I get gas I always fill it up because I know if I don't I'll only pay more tomorrow.

Andy
101impala

[gb387]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

$3.55 a gallon today in Philly. I'm sure it will go up again tonight. It's getting so that when I get gas I always fill it up because I know if I don't I'll only pay more tomorrow.

Andy
101impala

Same here, never let the tank get low either... seems less painful when you are only topping off.

[kellyinkc]

Re: These fuel costs are depressing...

I left out the airline industry. They are in big trouble with fuel costs.
We fill up at half a tank, seems less painful.
Gas hit $3.47 here tonight.


Kelly