It should be remembered that many more people are using cars all over the world and this is putting pressure on the price of petrol. America has been lucky up till now for having plenty of cheap petrol, but this can't last for ever, and you will see the price continue to rise, okay it may dip back down again for while but it will continue to rise. Now why should other countries sell oil to America for 18 dollars a barrel as it was not to long ago when they can get 80 dollars for it.

The USA has about the cheapest gas prices for it's citizens in the world. While I pay $2.50 a gallon for gas today, $.80 of each gallon goes for taxes. When I was in Europe in the 80's, it seems to me that gas was about $1.00 a liter then. Now I'm not great with conversions, but I remember thinking that put it somewhere around $4.00 a gallon 20 years ago.

If our gas prices were as high as they are in many countries around the world, we'd all be driving very different vehicles. My guess is that within 10 years, we're gonna be doing that anyway because we simply don't want to believe that other countries have the power to make us suffer (so we'll buy foreign-made hybrid cars ).

Originally Posted by ironhorseredleg

Dang!! I was doing so good I thought and then this post gets me busted from sergeant to 2nd lieutenant

We can fix that if it'll make you happy

Back to the topic, I've heard that if the latest hurricane (Rita) does a great deal of damage to the refineries, the price of gasoline could reach $5 per gallon in the US. Latest reports have it headed toward the area with the most oil refineries in the country.

So which Alternative Fuel vehicle do the masses prefer?

METHANOL ALCOHOL POWERED VEHICLE


VS

COMPRESSED AIR POWERED VEHICLE

Okay, I know that's not fair but the point is that extremely high performance cars (NASCAR in this case) don't use Gasoline at all. They use Methanol Alchohol. Formula-one drag racing currently uses 85% Nitris and 15% Methanol. But Ethanol is the easiest to produce and the main focus alternate fuel research. Here is a list of vehicles already available for sale that burn nothing but Ethanol (obviously, this is just one source and there are numerous other Ethanol powered vehicles available):
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/search_type.cgi?1
Currently, Ethanol can be produced at $2.46 per gallon, but that cost is as high as it is primarily because the mass production of Ethanol is not streamlined at this point. The cost would be driven down very quickly if the move was made to make Ethanol the nation's primary fuel source and fuel makers begin to compete against one another. For instance, Brazil currently sells Ethanol fuel for $.98 per gallon. Frankly, its a lot less complicated to make than Gasoline. Methanol or Ethanol, either one provides significantly more horsepower and torque, pollutes less and can both be produced entirely from plant products.

As far as how easy it is to convert to Alchohol from a gasoline engine? I've never done the conversion myself, but I've known people who have. Backyard mechanics with no fancy equipment at all. They just alter the compression and adjust the settings across the board and replace a few parts that are eaten up by alchohol (I think I remember rubber hoses being one of them.) Overall cost? Dunno. Is it easy? Obviously.

Why can't you mount a windmill on the top of your car which will charge your batteries, the faster you go the longer they charge. Perpetual motion.

The Energy department is reporting that fuel consumption is down about 3% for this time last year.

The drop in gasoline use was noted in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly petroleum report Wednesday. It says gasoline consumption the past four weeks averaged 8.8 million barrels a day, down from 9.1 million a year ago. That's a 3.3% drop.

SOURCE

If some enterpreneur has the balls to get something rolling for marketting alterative fuels, now would be the ideal time. The crunch in gas prices is front and center in everyone's mind and still very visible. The trouble is, you'd have to have some serious clout financially, politically and be very visible to the public. Oil companies have a reputation of wiping threats to their financial future from existence.

Originally Posted by Missileer

Why can't you mount a windmill on the top of your car which will charge your batteries, the faster you go the longer they charge. Perpetual motion.

As long as its simple and not enormous, sure. Truth be told, the ideal thing would be maximum versatility and maximum energy efficiency. Solar panels, perpetual motion and such on top of a combustion engine (as a backup and to get the car rolling.) Trouble is, the thing would end up being enormous.

I wish some Americans would think a little before opening their mouths on this issue. It is very amusing to read though.

The vehicles

"I recently switched vehicles with my 16-year-old son. I am now driving his 1992 Honda Accord for the 40-mile round-trip trek to work. He is very happy to be driving my 2002 GMC Sonoma truck. His school and job are within a 5-mile radius of our home. It was either switch vehicles or sell the truck. I recently paid my Exxon Mobil gas card bill: $457."

-- Jeff

"Last December, my husband and I purchased a used SUV for our family of five. We were ecstatic at first -- this was the lowest car payment we've ever had for a vehicle and all of the room for our kids was wonderful. Now gas is costing more than the car payment."

-- Stacy
Reigning in the spending

"We have stopped spending on things that aren't necessities, and we've been forced to halve our grocery bill. The kids no longer get fresh fruit or vegetables and no longer get turkey sandwiches. Now we buy only canned goods and the cheapest lunch meat possible. With the price of gas up, everything else is up... except for our wages."

-- Christine
At work

"The school district I work for can't afford the normal field trips and all of our budgets had to be cut because of the cost of gas and predicted cost of heating the building. I also know parents who can't drive their children the 20 miles to get to doctor appointments, so their children are not getting the care they need."

-- Cynthia, Montana

"The primary way in which I have cut back on driving is telecommuting. I used to drive 50 miles each way to work, so that I had to fill up the gas tank six times every month. With my new work arrangement, I only fill up about once a month. I have also become a more rigorous adherent to the speed limit."

-- Toby, Minnesota

"It prompted me to shift from a standard five-day week to longer hours and a four-day schedule -- one less round trip each week."

-- Tom

CNN

Worth a read (not as corny as the address suggests):

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

I feel the current situation with oil is a pressing problem for not only the U.S. but of course for the entire world!

Currently the Earth's largest car manufactor (GM) is struggling to stay at the top, especially with Toyota pressing hard at her heels. GM is attempting to develop a car that will be appealing to the people of China (Not only in size and efficeincy but in terms of price). If GM succeeds they will secure their place at the TOP, but at what cost to the world's overall economy? If they do succeed then the amount of Chinese with vehicles will drive the demand of oil threw the roof, and increase prices in the U.S. by over 200%, by the year 2009.

While its good GM is looking into the future to secure their financial well being, it is my hope that when develpoing this new vehicle they will incorporate today's technology of allternative fuels to run the vehicle