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Author Topic: Gas Prices in your area Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-15-2005 11:59 PM                     There's a Norwegian company called Think that makes electric cars. Ford bought them a few years ago and then tried to kill them off. I don't think they are involved anymore. There were two in Santa Rosa for a while and one of them used to come to my theatre. They are back in business trying to develop electric cars for urban markets around town. None of there cars are highway legal. They have a new concept for public cars that are left a train stations and public areas for people to borrow as they need them. It's called Think Public. Ok, they only go 30 MPH, but they sure fit my asthetic as to how a car should look. I'd love to live in a city, not own a car and grab one of these every time I needed to go grocery shopping or down to Ikea. http://www.think.no/ Price of Unleaded in Norway about $4.50 US per US Gallon.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 08-16-2005 07:10 AM                     I wouldn't want to be hit by anything bigger that a bicycle on one of those things. It doesn't matter how fast it will go, everybody else is moving a lot faster. With all that glass, ac will be a problem in the southeast and the southwest, its probably adequate for Norway though. A public car? Who is paying for it?? Would that be a rental or what would seem to be a free ride that is being paid for by somebody else, likely the taxpayers? How much does heat and AC cut into the already limited range and performance. The replacement cost of the batteries will probably cause the owner to go into shock.  |  IP: Logged David Buckley Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 525 From: Oxford, N. Canterbury, New Zealand Registered: Aug 2004 posted 08-16-2005 03:21 PM                        quote: Floyd Justin Newton Folks, this is GREED in action Be interested to hear who you think the greedy are...? Heres a interesting graphic from CNN Seems like we are the current limit of the supply side, and thus prices likely to keep rising...  |  IP: Logged Joseph Pandolfi Expert Film Handler Posts: 213 From: Milford, CT. Registered: Nov 1999 posted 08-16-2005 04:24 PM                     I remember you can get 3 gallons for a dollar. Now it's 3 dollars for a gallon. I filled by 67 VW bug for under 3 dollars.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-16-2005 11:23 PM                     I think the idea of a public car is a good one, provided some kinks can be worked out. It'd have to be paid for by a combination of government (tax) and private (invested) money. It'd probably have to be run by a non-profit organization and it'd be ESSENTIAL that the organization's mission is stated so that ALL profits above operating expenses and salaries be plowed back into the operation. (Back into its endowment?) It could only be an organization such as this which can afford to buy dozens of these cars, deploy, and maintian them. I can't imagine they'd be useful anywhere but central cities and shopping districts. Though they can only go 30 MPH there needs to be a repair crew in range of these things at all times. If one gets stuck, breaks down or runs out of gas/batteries nobody wants to tow these things miles and miles back to the central station. Vehicle safety in the central city, although important, isn't as critical as on the freeways. (They'd be prohibited on freeways anyhow... Minimum speed limits.) As for deployment, think of them as something that's half way between a subway system and a self-driven taxi. They are deployed around subway stations and parking garages. The user goes into the special lot, picks up a key from the attendant, checks out the car and drives off. You don't have to wait for the next train to come. You don't have to stand around on piss-scented underground platforms. You don't have to put up with surly cab drivers whose names you can't pronnounce and who speak three words of English. I'd imagine payment would be by a ticket or a pass system. Users could buy a one-time ticket or a pass for the whole day/month. Once the driver is credentialed and payed up it's just a matter of checking in at the depot and picking up the keys. Sure, there are a lot of pain in the ass issues to work out but the benefits, potentially, could be huge. A fleet of vehicles is more efficient than privately owned vehicles. (Most cars sit idle for the majority of the time, waiting for their owners to drive them.) Fleets can have the most efficient vehicles for the abiltiy of engineers to design and produce them. Look at it this way: Less than 10% of the energy gained from burning gasoline goes to actually propelling the car. If the fuel efficiency of a car can be improved by only 1%, that's like putting 10% of your fuel back into the gas tank. It is in the fleet owner's best interest to have the most fuel efficient vehicles possible. (Electricity IS fuel. It's just burned at the power plant, miles and miles away.) Also think of this: For every gallon of gas you refine you need about two gallons of crude oil. (The average 42 US gal. barrel of crude oil yeilds about 20 gallons of gas... 48%) For every gallon of gas you save, you DON'T have to import TWO gallons of oil. So, taken to its logical conclusion, if there was a way to magically increase the average fuel mileage of every car in America by 1% we would suddenly need to import 10-20% LESS oil than we do right now! Doing that would drop prices enough that the average consumer wouldn't have to worry about whether he should buy food or fill up the tank so he can drive to work. And we could absorb the effect of those few jizm-wads who insist on driving gas hogs just because they can afford to. Having more fleet vehicles is a good start on achieving such a goal. The Think electric car concept, I believe is a good way to increase the number of fleet vehicles in use.  |  IP: Logged Robert Burtcher Expert Film Handler Posts: 194 From: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Registered: Jun 2005 posted 08-17-2005 05:01 AM                     The main problem that is causing gasoline prices to skyrocket in the US actually has to do with our refining capacity. No new refineries have been built since the 1970s due to strict EPA regulations. While new technology and processes have increased production per capita, older refining facilities have been shut down due to age or destruction by fire, etc. The net result is that while our usage of petroleum fuels has increased over the past 30 years, our total refining capacity has stayed the same. This leads to a VERY tight supply and demand situation. As well, the worldwide demand for petroleum fuels has increased, especially in developing nations. More countries are competing for the same oil, and once again, this leads to a VERY tight supply and demand situation. We do still have it lucky here in the US... Gasoline is a lot more expensive per US Gallon in amost every other country. And for the record: Edmond, Oklahoma, USA: $2.479/g  |  IP: Logged Paul Konen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 981 From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2005 11:23 AM                     North Dallas Area: 2.69 for regular unleaded (87) 2.79 2.89 for Premium  |  IP: Logged Ian Price Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1714 From: Denver, CO Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2005 02:55 PM                     There is already a company in San Francisco called Car Share. A friend of mine works for them. The company owns the cars and they are distributed throughout the city. They call the parking lots where they store the cars "Pods". They are mostly public lots downtown and near Bart. You become a member and they the charge is $4 per hour and $.44 per mile. One day I worked it out, if you need a car for 4-hours per week and perhaps 50-miles, it would be cheaper than owning. If you needed a car 8-hours per week and needed to drive 100-miles, it would be cheaper to own something cheap. They use VW Beetles and Honda Civics. The cost include gas, maintenance and comprehensive  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-17-2005 05:56 PM                     quote: Robert Burtcher The main problem that is causing gasoline prices to skyrocket in the US actually has to do with our refining capacity. I'm sorry Robert, but I must disagree. On the surface that is a compelling arguement and deserves some merit, however, prices would still rise even if our refining capabilities were up to speed with usage. True, things must be improved, and I'm all for building new refineries, yet Big Oil will continue to sock it to the public by claiming construction costs or infrastructure development as in the case of ANWR. The fact is we are stoaking a fire that is about to burn out of control, but there is nothing we can do to contain things.  |  IP: Logged Matt Hollis Film Handler Posts: 49 From: Paragould / Jonesboro, AR, USA Registered: Jan 2005 posted 08-17-2005 06:23 PM                        $2.55 here in northeast Arkansas. I bought super for $2.10 the other day in Missouri, but it was a 10% ethanol blend.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 08-19-2005 12:16 PM                       Diesel: $2.74 the other day at the Pilot in Milford, CT. $2.67, at the Pilot in Sturbridge, MA  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 08-19-2005 12:31 PM                        Regular: $2.52 - 2.78 Diesel: $2.75 - 2.89 We've been setting new highs every day here the last couple of weeks. One station in town has just started pumping that E85 ethanol-gas blend for a $1.88.  |  IP: Logged Roger Manning Jr Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Encinitas, CA, USA Registered: Jan 2003 posted 08-19-2005 01:32 PM                     Regular: $2.95 - $3.02 Diesel: $3.09  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 08-19-2005 06:01 PM                       quote: Bob Maar Brooklyn..Gulf Premium $355 JEEZ! This is insane.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-19-2005 06:22 PM                        There is also Zipcar in Boston and a few other cities. The concept is the same as what Ian describes. You pay a flat rate per year for "membership," which gives you the ability to rent cars by the hour. They have a variety of different types of cars and rates are reasonable. I'm not a customer, but have spoken to several, all of whom are happy with the service. It's a good option for those who live and work downtown, but need occasional use of a car without having to worry about payments, maintenance, and insurance.  |  IP: Logged

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