Mad about Gas Price

[Soxy]

Another reason to hate SUV (from todays' Trib):

 

Fueling debate

What’s to blame for high gas prices? Look in your driveway

 

KRT

Published May 24, 2004

 

DETROIT -- Sorry folks: We're at least partly to blame for the ongoing pain at the gas pump.

 

Like it or not, we're burning more gas than ever before. Consumption has jumped nearly 24 percent since 1990. And the government says we're on track to burn another 48 percent by 2025.

 

Sure, there are more vehicles on the road. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of registered vehicles grew about 22 percent, according to the federal government. And the miles those vehicles traveled jumped 29 percent.

 

But the biggest reason consumption has risen so sharply is parked in many of our driveways: The number of light trucks, especially SUVs, has spiked in the past several years, growing about 74 percent between 1990 and 2001.

 

And since these vehicles consume more gas than passenger cars, they're likely responsible for the record level of fuel use, experts say.

 

The period between 1980 and 1990 showed only a 5 percent increase in fuel consumption compared with a 23.5 percent increase between 1990 and 2003.

 

In 1990, light trucks made up about a quarter of the nation's fleet, compared with 37 percent in 2001, the last year for which government figures are available.

 

Since these vehicles get fewer miles to the gallon than cars, they're driving up the amount of fuel we use. That use is straining already tight gas supplies. Experts say prices ultimately will move higher if things don't change.

 

"People enjoy bigger cars and SUVs and then scream bloody murder when there are higher gas prices,'' said Fadel Gheit, an oil analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. "Ultimately we will pay the price.''

 

Gas inventories are about 6 percent below what they were a year ago.

 

Fuel consumption is so high that the oil refineries are barely keeping up with demand, experts say.

 

On a more positive note Sunday, cnn.com reported that Saudi Arabia has agreed to increase its oil output starting next month by 28 percent and is "prepared" to increase output to its capacity of 10.5 million barrels per day, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Sunday after meeting with the Saudi oil minister.

 

That likely won't cut the price of gas by more than a dime a gallon, some experts say, and we're burning gas at a record pace largely because we're dumping cars for trucks. More consumers have opted for SUVs and light trucks because they're big, they hold a lot of stuff and they can carry more people.

 

The rub is that many of them don't go far on a gallon of gasoline. The Ford Explorer, the nation's most popular SUV, barely gets 20 miles per gallon on the highway, compared with 30 m.p.g. for a Ford Focus, a small passenger car.

 

Some experts aren't convinced that light trucks are moving prices higher.

 

Ron Planting, an economist with the American Petroleum Institute, said worldwide demand for crude oil, especially in Asia, is influencing prices a lot more than SUVs.

 

Experts predict gas prices will continue to be high.

 

"People are going to want more oil, and inventories are going to be stressed to the limits," AAA Michigan spokesman Jim Rink said. "This isn't going to go away any time soon."

[Spiff]

Oh god, I'm so sick of this crap.

 

Welcome to capitalism, end of story.

[Rex Kickass]

I'd agree. When people want more gas than we got, the price goes up simply said. There isn't enough refining capacity to meet need in the US right now AND the pumping capacity worldwide isn't producing much more than we already consume every day. Couple that with Shell earlier this year admitting they overestimated what they have in their reserves for pumping and Saudi Arabia admitting that poor management of their largest oil fields over the past 20 years has placed it in decline.

 

The solutions to savings at the pump seem simple to me. Walk more. Drive less when you don't have to. Buy cars that get better mileage. The price of gas may not go down, but your out of pocket costs will.

[EvilMonkey]

Just an SUV observation. I have one, and am not dissing them, but why is it that over half the full-size SUV's I see every day (Expeditions, Tahoes, etc) have little women driving them. I mean LITTLE, as in short, and weighing maybe 120lbs soaking wet. Weren't these the same women who 10-15 years ago wouldn't be caught dead driving a station wagon? And why do they need super high clearance and 4WD? When it snows, they stay home! Off-roading? YEah, right. Safety? Try a Volvo instead. I have mine because I make deliveries in it for my work, and my customers don't care if there is snow on the ground or not. I also have a 4 cylander mini van for the warmer weather, because I also don't like $2+/gallon gas.

[Chisoxfn]

My thought is drive what you want to drive or drive what you can afford. If people want an SUV and are willing to pay high gas prices fine by me.

 

I love SUVS and I think when I do sell my car in a few years (probably going to be a while), I'll end up getting one, but I'm going into it knowing its going to cost me more in gas and if thats what I'll want then thats what I'll get

 

Right now I get damn good mileage though

[DBAHO]

I just got my gas for 99.5 cents a litre, it's been over a dollar for the past 2 weeks, but I thought I heard a news story last night sayin oil prices would be droppin in the next few weeks.

[Texsox]

Years ago Mexico nationalized the selling of gasoline. You can only buy gas from the government owned PEMEX facilities. Just thought I would toss that out there.

[Wong & Owens]

My thought is drive what you want to drive or drive what you can afford.  If people want an SUV and are willing to pay high gas prices fine by me.

 

I love SUVS and I think when I do sell my car in a few years (probably going to be a while), I'll end up getting one, but I'm going into it knowing its going to cost me more in gas and if thats what I'll want then thats what I'll get

 

Right now I get damn good mileage though

My only problem with this line of thought(not to pick on you Jason) is that it completely tosses aside any need for responsible consumerism. Everyone knows that gas-burning vehicles damage the ozone layer, contribute to pollution problems, global warming, etc. Do people think these problems will simply go away? Isn't the purpose of any generation to try and make things better for following generations? I think it's sad that the only reason the SUV boom has subsided(albeit probably only temporarily) is due to the fact that most people arent willing to pay high gas prices to operate these things. I wonder how many SUV owners are the same people protesting the Bush plan to start oil drilling in the Alaska wilderness.

 

I guess my point is, why create more of a mess when it's completely unnecessary? Just because you have the right to?

[Chisoxfn]

My only problem with this line of thought(not to pick on you Jason) is that it completely tosses aside any need for responsible consumerism.  Everyone knows that gas-burning vehicles damage the ozone layer, contribute to pollution problems, global warming, etc.  Do people think these problems will simply go away?  Isn't the purpose of any generation to try and make things better for following generations?  I think it's sad that the only reason the SUV boom has subsided(albeit probably only temporarily) is due to the fact that most people arent willing to pay high gas prices to operate these things.  I wonder how many SUV owners are the same people protesting the Bush plan to start oil drilling in the Alaska wilderness.

 

I guess my point is, why create more of a mess when it's completely unnecessary?  Just because you have the right to?

Well I just did a report on how to improve the Explorer and one of the 1st things that they should do is offer up a Hybrid version of the Explorer.

 

Ford recently paid Toyota big bucks to utilize Toyota's hybrid technology and this would be a great alternative for SUV owners that want to pay lower gas prices.

 

Its giong to take the people really getting sick of something or the government stepping up and making something a priority (which won't happen without people crying for it) before they will make them cleaner and more efficient.

 

My one big knock on Bush always has been the lack of spending on alternative fuel supplies. However much money to fund our trip to Mars (the eventual trip) instead of using that money to solve the energy crisis. This type of plan would have such a strong impact on the economy.

 

I guess Hydrogen is what is going to be used though. Toyota projects within 10 years that their entire lineup will be hydrogen powered and very few vehicles if any will use gasoline.

[Wong & Owens]

Well I just did a report on how to improve the Explorer and one of the 1st things that they should do is offer up a Hybrid version of the Explorer.

 

Ford recently paid Toyota big bucks to utilize Toyota's hybrid technology and this would be a great alternative for SUV owners that want to pay lower gas prices.

 

Its giong to take the people really getting sick of something or the government stepping up and making something a priority (which won't happen without people crying for it) before they will make them cleaner and more efficient.

 

My one big knock on Bush always has been the lack of spending on alternative fuel supplies.  However much money to fund our trip to Mars (the eventual trip) instead of using that money to solve the energy crisis.  This type of plan would have such a strong impact on the economy.

 

I guess Hydrogen is what is going to be used though.  Toyota projects within 10 years that their entire lineup will be hydrogen powered and very few vehicles if any will use gasoline.

Yah, Bush is all about the Shock and, in this case Awe tactics. Sending a mission to Mars? OOOOOOOHHHH, flashy. Spending the money on alternative fuels and reduce the country's dependency on oil? Never, too practical, and it'll piss off all his buddies.

[EvilMonkey]

Ford has a hybrid version of the Escape due out soon, but with a limited production. I think I read that they were only going to make 10,000 units, but have recieved enough interest (names on waiting lists to buy!) to build 3 times that many.

[Chisoxfn]

Ford has a hybrid version of the Escape due out soon, but with a limited production.  I think I read that they were only going to make 10,000 units, but have recieved enough interest (names on waiting lists to buy!) to build 3 times that many.

Ya, its the Escape and it pumps up basically the same about of horsepower. Its 150 HP compared to the standar 153 HP version. It also gets about 38-42 MPG up from the 23-26 of the standard version.

 

That is a huge difference especially if a few other SUV companies came out with similar type products. Its not quite a 50% difference but at least a 30% difference. This means if at least a decent amount of people switched the country would be using quite a bit less gas which would increase supply (we know the opec countries would then just cut supply, but its hard for them to do it by that much considering it be the first step towards being more independent).