Have gas prices affected you?

[Queen of the Ryche]

So how long do they have to drive it before the recoop the extra $6K for the extra batteries???

[Bullitt]

Guess that depends on the gas prices in the particular area, and how far/what kind of driving is done. I wonder how all that extra weight affects mileage/performance during regular (non electric) engine operation, the wear on your tires, your brakes, suspension, etc. Car batteries aren't light.

[Troubleshooter]

Prices aren't just affecting our driving.

I just got my light bill.

Actual usage: $65

Fuel Adjustment: $75

[mricytoast]

I want to get one of those bio-diesel cars. There was something in National Geographic about it, it's around 60-80 MPG and it costs about 8 dollars to fill up the car's tank for a month.

[tw]

Originally Posted by dar512

Has/will the increase in gas prices affect your driving behavior?

Of course not. One need only learn from history. Gas had to go to about $7 per gallon in the late 1970s before people actually changed behaviour.

Meanwhile, people are so foolish as to complain and yet not do anything about it. There is good reason why the US government could give GM something like $100 million in 1994 to build a hybrid - and GM still does not have one 11 years later. Price of gasoline is still quite normal. However too many assumed gasoline at the lowest price levels ever (in the 1980s and early 1990s) is normal. Gasoline in 1970 was about $1.75 per gallon. Any yet only a few years ago, people were complaining when the price was $1.40 per gallon. More examples of silly emotion. Behavior did not change because their complaint had no basis in reality.

Gasoline is still quite cheap. One need only learn from the numbers.

Meanwhile those who think they are saving money at Wawa are again lying to themselves. Gasoline that provides less MPG is not cheaper.

What is the first thing anyone does if they are really concerned about the price of gas? Record every gallon and every mile. Start by learning what is and is not really more expensive; what is and is not really working. Most are not doing this because gasoline is still so cheap.

[Cyclefrance]

Surprised there's no UK contribution so far. Thanks to our tax regime we currently are paying £0.90/US$1.62 per LITRE - as there are 3.7854 litres per US Gallon that's equivalent to $6.13 per US gallon. Needless to say I cycle a bit more!

[wolf]

Originally Posted by tw

Of course not. One need only learn from history. Gas had to go to about $7 per gallon in the late 1970s before people actually changed behaviour.

Are you factoring in the fines for buying on an "odd" day when you were an "even"?

$7?

Not even during that month where the gas station reset the pumps for liters instead of gallons because that was the only way they could get the counter to work right (price had exceeded .999) did we pay $7/gallon.

[Neurotica]

Originally Posted by sycamore

I don't like the prices, but we're still not paying as much as we were in 1983. *shrugs*

Some of us weren't even alive in 1983!

Is it an excuse to act like one's own situation is the worst it could possibly be and/or ever has been? No. I don't pretend that gas is at its highest ever. I just say that it's the highest it has been in my life.

Of course, I didn't start paying attention to gas prices until my teens, so it has never been under $1 as far as I can recall. So at least that means it has gone up "less" for me than other people. I have $1.19 (the first "high" price I can recall from my senior year) to hold onto; other people have $0.35.

[Trilby]

[quote=Neurotica]Some of us weren't even alive in 1983![quote]

The important people were.

[wolf]

:high five:

[Neurotica]

Awww now, we already have enough of an inferiority complex. We don't need any help from upper generations.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by mricytoast

I want to get one of those bio-diesel cars. There was something in National Geographic about it, it's around 60-80 MPG and it costs about 8 dollars to fill up the car's tank for a month.

What they probably didn't tell you is how much it really costs to produce bio deisel and the associated subsidies and such.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/analysispaper/biodiesel/

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by LCanal

For fuel economy maybe one of these. At

http://www.smart.com/-snm-0144779740...70kwcdi%2epage

There is a sports version


http://www.smart.com/-snm-0144779740...hlights%2epage

And a Roadster

http://www.smart.com/-snm-0144779740...hlights%2epage

Driving one of those shitboxes you would probably be dead before the credit card bill came anyway.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by mricytoast

I really hope gas prices continue to rise, even exponentially, because that will finally shock this country into being more enviromentally concious/thoughtful.

I want to get one of those bio-diesel cars. There was something in National Geographic about it, it's around 60-80 MPG and it costs about 8 dollars to fill up the car's tank for a month.

You've got a lot to learn about human nature and things not always being what they seem. On the up side you've chosen a good place to learn by being here....stick around.

[Cyclefrance]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

What they probably didn't tell you is how much it really costs to produce bio deisel and the associated subsidies and such.

Forget bio-diesel - hydrogen fuel cell technology is advancing, with eco-friendly production of hydrogen from ethanol cost-effectively (derived from sugar beet) - if you want proof then take a look at this prototype bike - ENV (spec available via link to pdf) - looks reasonably interesting.....