Another bitch about gas prices

[OnlineStageGear]

You can see gas at $3.91 and less than 10 miles down the road it is $4.21

[Newc]

All this talk of giving up our cars/trucks/SUVs for smaller rattletraps that get whipped around by strong winds and massive tractor-trailers, yet the 4 major oil companies are posting 35 BILLION in profits per quarter?

35 Billion dollars in PROFIT in 3 months?

Rationalize two things for me:

#1: How will it hurt those 4 companies to lower prices so their profits are "only" 12 Million per quarter?

#2: Why hasn't the industry been nationalized yet? The Government would be entirely self-sustaining if they controlled the oil industry in this country, and we could all live tax-free AND strike it rich in Social Security.

[VitaminG]

As for pollution, we're already cutting down a lot. You need to worry about the 3 BILLION people in China and India, not the 300 million in the USA, for driving pollutants. Do they have ANY emissions controls? We do.

nope. And that's another reason they can keep costs down to keep providing us in the West with cheap tshirts. If they were forced to build environmental controls into their production models, prices would have to go up to pay for those controls, and prices of Chinese made stuff would come closer to domestically made products, reducing the need to by Chinese & seriously affecting their economy. So they won't rush to get environmentally friendly.

I wouldn't put all the blame on the Chinese driver though - although car ownership has quadrupled in the last decade, the ownership ratio is still on 1 car to every 90 people. In Australia, it's 1 car for every two people. In the US, it's some like 3 cars for every household, so almost a 1 to 1 ratio. They predict that by 2010, there will be 55 million cars in China. Emissions controls aside, that projection is a significantly lower number than currently exist in the US, and I would think include very few stonkin' great 8.4 litre V10s, given their focus is on cheap, small & efficient vehicles.

So instead blame their industry (and us, for buying off them without insisting that they implement the kind of environmental considerations we expect from manufacturers in our own countries).

[VitaminG]

#2: Why hasn't the industry been nationalized yet? The Government would be entirely self-sustaining if they controlled the oil industry in this country, and we could all live tax-free AND strike it rich in Social Security.

what, are you some kind of pinko, hippie?

[Endrik]

I just hope that the scientist would find a cheap way how to produce Hydrogen

[~K~]

I'm in manufacturing and the chinese are killing us. They can machine and deliver complete parts for a fraction of the cost that is cost me just to buy raw metal. Their quality sucks and even with their rejection rates we still SAVE money!! There's something terribly wrong there.

Face it, America is going the way of rich and poor, there will be no middle class.

Telling us to go by smaller cars etc is great in theory but not everyone can afford to do that. If you own a big SUV to get rid of it, take major losses on the value and then take on another loan and associated costs on top of the gas proces is just too tough for some to do.

Lastly, who puts out a decent low cost high mileage car? Honda? The money is still going overseas.

The gas companies need to be held accountable. They are reaping HUGE record profits all while enjoying tax breaks that are never passed on to the consumers. Repeal those taxes, it's about time.

To say we shouldn't own a pickup truck to go to home depot every 2 months is B.S. When I had my truck I used it for a lot of things and not just home depot. Owning a home it is almost a given that you need a truck and once my car is paid of I'm buying a beater just for the house stuff ....

Last time the gas prices took off people started trading in the big SUV's for smaller cars and the minute they dropped, SUV sales skyrocketted again. The govt needs to add more incentives for smaller car sales. Tax breaks that go far deeper than just a few Hybrids....

[SEEGERMANY]

+1 Couldn't have said it better.

[Norton]

I'm in manufacturing and the chinese are killing us. They can machine and deliver complete parts for a fraction of the cost that is cost me just to buy raw metal. Their quality sucks and even with their rejection rates we still SAVE money!! There's something terribly wrong there.

Face it, America is going the way of rich and poor, there will be no middle class.

Telling us to go by smaller cars etc is great in theory but not everyone can afford to do that. If you own a big SUV to get rid of it, take major losses on the value and then take on another loan and associated costs on top of the gas proces is just too tough for some to do.

Lastly, who puts out a decent low cost high mileage car? Honda? The money is still going overseas.

The gas companies need to be held accountable. They are reaping HUGE record profits all while enjoying tax breaks that are never passed on to the consumers. Repeal those taxes, it's about time.

To say we shouldn't own a pickup truck to go to home depot every 2 months is B.S. When I had my truck I used it for a lot of things and not just home depot. Owning a home it is almost a given that you need a truck and once my car is paid of I'm buying a beater just for the house stuff ....

Last time the gas prices took off people started trading in the big SUV's for smaller cars and the minute they dropped, SUV sales skyrocketted again. The govt needs to add more incentives for smaller car sales. Tax breaks that go far deeper than just a few Hybrids....

Yeah, definitely. The thing is, american motor companies need to change their sense of production. They need to produce more efficient cars. It shouln't just be about "torque,torque and torque"

[~K~]

Yeah, definitely. The thing is, American motor companies need to change their sense of production. They need to produce more efficient cars. It shouldn't just be about "torque,torque and torque"

True and here's a kicker. 2 of the biggest awaited sports cars are due to be re released while the gas prices are breaking $4-$5 a gallon. The Challenger and the Camaro.

So, does this mean that American car companies are going to be further in the hole because quite honestly as cool as those cars are, who will be able to afford the fuel?

Chevy has that car the "volt" on the burner and I honestly believe those technologies are the one that need to be focused on.

http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

If Tesla can put out an all electric sports car that does 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds and goes 220 miles on a charge then other companies should be able to build long distance lower hp motors that cost a lot less money!

http://www.teslamotors.com/

Lastly the whole domestic oil drilling issues need to stop. We can't have things both ways here. We can't keep our lands pristine and be dependent on greedy Arab oil states at the same time. We need to open our own lands up for oil drilling, add new electric technologies and bio fuels or just shut up because the rich people aren't going to help us.. they just want our money...


There's no immediate money in reduced emission vehicles but there are huge profits in petrol .. do the math, they have us by the balls

[Reverend Timmy]

2 new oil rigs going in about 4 miles from the house.That will make 6 in a 5 to 7 mile radius since November 07.I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that said"Gas was a 1.46 when Bush took office".I thought that was funny at first,but the more I thought about it,the madder I got...........

[Hellbat]

Here is the answer. Small turbine engine running from biofuel powering a generator which charges a battery pack. The motor for propulsion is electric and draws it power from said battery pack. Turbine engines running at their optimum speed are very fuel efficient. Combine with smart engine controls you could even have the turbine power up when not needed to charge the batteries to provide additional power.

Of course something like this won't get development time until oil is almost totally exhausted. Smarter missiles and unmanned weapons seem to be more important then the development of better transportation.

[charvelguy]

I've looked into conversions alot recently and am seriously considering either electric or natural gas. I'm definitely leaning towards the electric as it seems most doable and I do want to NOT have any dependence on petroleum or OPEC any longer.
'Ampheads' have been doing conversions on gas cars since the early 80's.
Most of the kits out there are about 3-6k. It depends on whether you want to have a lead based battery or lithium and considerations given as well towards distance and horsepower. Lithium is very expensive but when you consider how much lead you need for distance, 1-1.5 pounds of lead/mile...the cost of what you invest is about the same with Lithium being a little higher upfront.

Alot of guys are using the Optima redtop & yellowtop batterys in the lead conversions and the typical voltage is about 96-144... so they series a bunch of 12 volts together.
Interestingly enough, 6 volt batteries seem to better able to handle producing consistant amp draw for longer periods of time, so they incorporate some of these in as well.

Utimately, hybrids would be the ideal answer so you are not solely dependant on either. It is the most user friendly to what is being used in the conventionally available at the moment-ie: oil & electric. From what I understand, hydrogen is very eco friendly in the final, but it actually uses more energy overall to produce and is not cost effective. Same for some of the biofuels. There are many alternatives being explored. Theres a couple scientists at the U of M exploring algae as a fuel source. Very quick and plentiful source of fuel to produce and has obvious benefits of not using land based crops. Sounds like they were on the road to success with that but actually utilizing it is another story.

IMO much of what is being done or not being politically about fuel prices probably hinges on two things...increased tensions with Iran, and the dreaded prospect of war there. (which would be a mess), the election year and policital environment, ..war in Iraq etc.

I definitely agree with Kev, the Chinese are coming on like a hurricane in the manufacturing end of things. The thing is, if there is any type of infectious disease that will rapidly spread, it likely will come from that region. All those people in Burma and the earthquakes in China during the international Olympics, hmm, not a recipie for good health local or globally.

The current war situation has also been great for ammo manufacturers.. I almost went to work for Federal Cart years ago during the last manufacturing layoff fiasco just pre and post 9/11.

Were just coming into torando and hurricane season and the possiblity of having potential for natural disasters from Global Warming as well....all it takes is one more Katrina here and gas will be like skyrocketing even more.

I also agree, the middle class is getting f*ck'd out of existance here. We have illegals who are welcomed by companies wanting to compete with the more legally abiding companies. The rate of pay in manufacturing type of jobs really hasn't changed much in the past 8 years...yet the cost of living has really gone thru the roof. What illegals are being paid equals or is less than what I made 8 years ago.. yet, its a well of good fortune for them. Therefore, the companies that exploit them have also tapered off on the number of eligable employees from on a legal basis... the job market gets tighter and the overall wage goes down, yet technological increases also require higher skills to run machine capable of yielding higher output and faster more efficient production. I find theres an attitude of more being demanded of us all the time to offset the increases in other areas...like fuel costs.

Any way you slice it..unless we adapt quickly, America is heading for a recession much greater than anticipated. I debate how much I should diversify into the Euro at this point.. but I've been thinking going 50/50. Screw Canada, they're on strike anyways...

[Newc]

What was that "experimental" car Hossman had from his employer a few years ago - got excellent mileage and had as much power as a gas guzzler. Looked like a Crown Victoria modded for electric or something.

They were rounded up and crushed because they did so well the oil companies cried foul.

I have no problem with Capitalism, but there comes a point where someone has to say "enough". I mean, you do realise that the people who decide to jack up gas prices do not have to pay for gas? Even their families and friends get free gas, or at least make enough money that $30 a gallon is pocket change.

$35 Billion in profits for the first quarter of this year. That's after they've paid everything - salaries, taxes, etc etc.

They're sitting around going "Hey look, no matter how high we raise prices, people will pay it, because we've got them by the balls". It's time to take it away from them before we're all having to decide whether to buy gas to get to work this week or food.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

if the US. Gov. and the EU went after the oil companys, wall street like they did Microsoft for being monopoly and anti-trust, shit might happen. Oh wait! The Gov. are in the Oil Co. pocket.

[Hellbat]

if the US. Gov. and the EU went after the oil companys, wall street like they did Microsoft for being monopoly and anti-trust, shit might happen. Oh wait! The Gov. are in the Oil Co. pocket.

There was an oil monopoly that the government did break up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil

It's hard to do anything about it now because technically there is more than one company controlling the industry. So you can't break them up on a monopoly basis, but I think the people around the world will start to get fed up with the record profits being employed and start taking matters into their own hands.