How to lower gas prices

[ULOOP]

So I am sure you are all thinking oh, here we go again this guy is going to tell me not to buy gas on a certain day, or this guy is going to tell me not to buy gas at a certain station. WRONG!

These were great ideas but there is no way you can organize everyone to give up buying gas on a certain day, or purchasing from a certain company.

After reserving my production slot, the estimated 300 mpg for my Aptera hybrid vehicle got me thinking.....

The more Aptera vehicles that are driven, the less oil we will consume. I was getting 10 MPG in a 99 Yukon Denali, and soon I will be saving a bunch of money on insurance and registration fees, getting 300 MPG, and I will be able to drive in the carpool lanes all by myself!

Most importantly, as we begin to consume less oil, we will decrease our demand, leading to an increase in supply and ultimately a decrease in cost.

As the number of Aptera vehicles on the road significantly increase we will see oil prices drop around the world!

I can not wait for the day so I started a facebook group! if you are on facebook, check it out, and invite all of your friends!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12225134670

[DDB]

So I am sure you are all thinking oh, here we go again this guy is going to tell me not to buy gas on a certain day, or this guy is going to tell me not to buy gas at a certain station. WRONG!

These were great ideas but there is no way you can organize everyone to give up buying gas on a certain day, or purchasing from a certain company.

After reserving my production slot, the estimated 300 mpg for my Aptera hybrid vehicle got me thinking.....

The more Aptera vehicles that are driven, the less oil we will consume. I was getting 10 MPG in a 99 Yukon Denali, and soon I will be saving a bunch of money on insurance and registration fees, getting 300 MPG, and I will be able to drive in the carpool lanes all by myself!

Most importantly, as we begin to consume less oil, we will decrease our demand, leading to an increase in supply and ultimately a decrease in cost.

As the number of Aptera vehicles on the road significantly increase we will see oil prices drop around the world!

I can not wait for the day so I started a facebook group! if you are on facebook, check it out, and invite all of your friends!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12225134670

I agree with the notion it's great to consume less oil. But the day the US buys one gallon less oil is the same day China and/or India buys the same gallon for at least the same gallon for the same amount of money if not more. Still, it strengthens the US position, but it certainly will not lower the price of oil.

[LQUAN]

OPEC will simply cut back production to keep the price high.

[KarenRei]

But the day the US buys one gallon less oil is the same day China and/or India buys the same gallon for at least the same gallon for the same amount of money if not more. Still, it strengthens the US position, but it certainly will not lower the price of oil.

It's not that simple. While there is some elasticity in demand, it's not that much. Even with gas prices having tripled in the last decade, summer travel in the US has hardly decreased. Most of the declines have been in oil-fired power generation outside of the US; overall US oil consumption has actually increased over this time. These declines can be expected to be permanent; once they've paid the costs to switch generation over to, say, coal (which is far cheaper, and will continue to be so even if oil prices drop significantly), they're not going to convert it back. Also, gasoline is only a little more than half of the oil industry's business. Plastics, coke, asphault, misc industrial chemicals, jet fuel, fuel oil, and so on make up the rest. Plus...

OPEC will simply cut back production to keep the price high.

Indeed. OPEC seems to have decided that they don't want as low of a baseline oil price as we had in the 90s; they think that a higher levels is a proper balance between the profit they'll make and the twin risks of slowing the global economy and causing consuming nations to invest in alternative energy sources (not just green alternative energy sources, but also alternative sources of oil -- bitumen, coal, shale, etc). That's certainly their call, although I think they underestimate the degree of the latter.

[hyo silver]

I don't expect this to be a popular opinion, but I think gas prices are too low. Before you get all bent out of shape, in no way am I advocating that oil companies should make more money, that terrorists need better funding, or that most of our goods and services should cost more. I'm taking the long-term view that we would all be better off with alternatives to petroleum. Sadly, we're not likely to develop those alternatives until we're forced to. The movement has definitely started, and the Aptera is part of that, but the evolution of our species' thought process remains frustratingly slow.

[KarenRei]

hyo silver: I agree with you. I wish we had the sort of gas taxes they have in Europe. I also wish, at the same time we're enacting them, we also offered an equivalent reduction in payroll taxes equivalent to the extra amount we're taking in, so that the average person in America is no better or worse off with the change. If they buy less gas than the average person, they come out ahead. If they buy more, they come out behind.

High gas prices drive alternatives like nothing else.

[butter]

I agree with both hyo silver and KarenRei. I'll admit it, and don't bash me please: when the price of gas goes up, I secretly cheer. Our prices are still nothing compared to Europe's. Many people can only make changes from negative reinforcement, not positive ones, so if rising prices means more Americans will finally choose to live more efficiently, then good. It's tough love, baby. For the ultimate good.

[Aptera #1159]

I agree with both hyo silver and KarenRei. I'll admit it, and don't bash me please: when the price of gas goes up, I secretly cheer. Our prices are still nothing compared to Europe's. Many people can only make changes from negative reinforcement, not positive ones, so if rising prices means more Americans will finally choose to live more efficiently, then good. It's tough love, baby.

That's what I have told my mom. I cheer (out loud) when they talk about "pain at the pump." She gets angry with me.:D She says that it will affect food prices, etc.

I side with you guys.

[Chupacabra]

I think when Aptera finally builds its 4 seater is when we'll start to see changes in the way mainstream people think. Right now it might appear a weird oddity. When it's been around a couple years, and people are more open to the idea - and when a 4 seater that fits the requirements of families comes around is when we may see some changes.

[Apteratude]

Just wanted to chime in, I also think gas prices are too low. There ought to be some incentive for buying a new car that is good on gas. Like, let's say $100 of your taxes for every new vehicle purchased that has a combined city/highway mpg of over 21 mpg, which is the current national avg. So, if sombody buys a Yaris at 33mpg avg, they get a $1200 break on their taxes. A penalty could apply likewise to those who purchase vehicles below the nation avg fuel economy to the tune of $100 per mpg penalty. But Really don't think that'll do. Gas Guzzler tax doesn't really cut it =(, If you can afford an H2, or a Dodge Viper, again, you can afford the gas to put in it!

Maybe some special priveleges are the answer, like a raised speed limit by 5mph for cars over 30mpg's. Just to give people an incentive to go with better mpg's. I'm in favor of a higher gas tax similar to europe. And I drive for a living!

As I've said before, the people buying the brand new cars can afford the gas their putting into them no problem, otherwise they wouldn't be buying a new car. Therefore, we need an alternative incentive. Like the higher speed limit thingy, free parking @ meters, or no limits or extended limits on timed parking zones, head of line priveleges at DMV, etc. A whole myriad of bonuses that buy people time, and a little bit of money. Rich people will change their buying habits if they can buy time in the forms mentioned!

[mmalc]

I don't expect this to be a popular opinion, but I think gas prices are too low.

I find it interesting that most of the replies here seem to be in agreement. I've been saying the same thing for almost two decades (although over half of that time from Europe...). I don't remember the idea ever gaining any traction before...

[butter]

I find it interesting that most of the replies here seem to be in agreement.

It might have to do with the fact that we're all fans of an electric vehicle.


I don't remember the idea ever gaining any traction before...

For me, it's just been a reluctance to be public with my generally unpopular opinion. People simply don't complain about the price of a commodity being too low, and for the most part for obvious good reason. Gas is a different animal, however, as many/most of us on this forum seem to agree, and is *not* a necessary evil as the mainstream public seems to believe (though less and less, thankfully).

We've just been hiding our ideas out of fear of getting chased down and run over by gas-addicted Hummers.

[Blur]

Maybe some special priveleges are the answer, like a raised speed limit by 5mph for cars over 30mpg's.

What if driving 5mph faster lowers my fuel economy below 30mpg? (sorry, bad joke)

Discussions like these give me the feeling that I'm doing something. It's good to hear the opinions from the members here.

I'm terrible at formulating solutions for the general populace. I just got done wasting my breath in a futile attempt trying to explain to several of my coworkers why it's BAD to receive a $4000 refund check from the IRS. Trying to change a self-defeating mindset of a group of people is not a task I'll ever volunteer for.

I am ,however, good at finding solutions for me and my family. Recently I made a DRASTIC change in my driving habits. The fancy term for what I've started doing is "hypermiling" and I think there's a whole site dedicated to the techniques. I prefer the more descriptive "driving like my Grandma". I'm clearly the slowest car on my commute. My mileage has increased by 5mpg (from 17mpg to 22mpg) and the stress during the commute has decreased.

The next step will be to get back on the bicycle and use that for some/most of my trips to and from work again.

[garygid]

Oil prices are "really" only about $75 per barrel, but
the devaluation of the dollar has made it necessary
for us to pay $119 for it.
I believe we have our government to thank for that.

[GCustom]

Its a shame about our inflation and recession problems

I'm a novice hypermiler and its really fun seeing instant gratification on those efforts.

[mmalc]

It might have to do with the fact that we're all fans of an electric vehicle.

Well, yes, although there's not necessarily a direct correspondence between "likes electric vehicles" and "likes high petrol prices"...

For me, it's just been a reluctance to be public with my generally unpopular opinion. [...] We've just been hiding our ideas out of fear of getting chased down and run over by gas-addicted Hummers.

This is one I've never been shy about.
And I refuse to be intimidated by Hummers.