Above $4/gallon, it won't matter anymore

I think $4 per gallon is a tipping point in the US. The majority of buyers
will no longer consider fuel efficiency in their selections.

Here's why: People will cut back so much in elective driving, it won't
matter what the fuel efficiency of their cars are because they will drive
so little. As for the essential driving, they will weigh the cost of a
broken body vs the cost of gas and decide it's cheaper to drive a
traditional size car (medium) rather than an econobox, being that larger
cars are safer in crashes, all things being equal.

It costs about $1,500 just to say hello to the folks in the emergency room
and that's before they do anything to your broken body. Gas is dirt cheap
compared to a hospital bill, even with "insurance", not to mention the pain
and suffering. I've seen the way they drive in Los Angeles, like crazy
nuts, so I'll keep driving my big, wasteful bomb for protection. The rest
of you can drive Aleros or Omni econoboxes, but be ready for that $40,000
broken leg, or worse.

 

It won't get that high, IMHO. Years ago the oil companies found two huge
oil deposits... the one deep under Eastern Ohio, West Penn., & West
Virginia is believed to be as large as Saudi Arabias (oil was first
commercially drilled in West Penn. with tiny little towns named Oil City,
Petrolia, ect).
The Second deposit is out west, Wyoming I believe, and it is believed to be
as large as Texas's. The problem with the oil deposits is that are deeper
under the mountains than the Oil Companies can currently drill & it's mixed
in with a coal slush. It will difficult to drill to, harder to seperate the
oil from the coal and will leave a coal slurry waste (a massive amount) that
the enviromentalist with scream bloody murder over (where do you put it when
it is good for nothing but muck?)
The oil Companies estimated that the price of pump gas would have to be
over $3 a gallon before it would be profitable for them to attempt to get it
& the public would have to be so hungry for new sources of oil that they
would over-rule the enviromental concerns.
Basically what their doing right now, with Governmental co-operating, is
getting everyone use to the idea of paying $3 a gallon for gas while they
work on the drilling and refining techs. The price will most likely remain
around $3 for the next 3 or 4 years... then BOOM!!!... a big outcry and
massive push to get the public to buy into the idea of cutting dependency on
foriegn oil and going domestic with the coal slurry oil.

 

Except that people will be used to the price and so there won't be a huge
outcry.

The real issue is not what "everybody" wants, anyway. The real issue is
what the "new car buyers" want, since it is only that group who really
determines what kind of cars that us "everyone else" gets to drive. And,
right now that small group appears hell-bent on buying the most
fuel-efficient
vehicles they can lay hands on. If that keeps up for another 5-6 years
then the game is really up - 10 years from now, most people won't be able
to buy a gas guzzler, because the only kind of cars that will be for sale in
the used car lots will be used econoboxes. And so while you may beg
for 18mpg cars that you can use as justification to pressure your congress
person to allow drilling in ANR and such places, you won't get them - you
will get 30mpg cars, whether you want them or not.

Ted

 

They say it's coming. It's almost $4 now, and it's not even summer yet.

 

I pay about 90 pence for a litre. That's about GBP 3.40 per US gallon.
Multiply by 1.95 for USD equivalent.

Stop whinging, guys... ;-)
DAS

For direct replies replace nospam with schmetterling
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Hey, Dori, I have a really serious question for you. I already asked one
person from the UK about this. My question is, "what were the original
politics of super-high gasoline taxes in Europe? (or the UK in particular)"
I can think of a lot of ways that really high gas tax helps your government,
but I'd like to know what the actual reason was when they first jacked it
up. If you don't know, just say so. Looking for a little "gas prices
politics" history lesson.