The cost of gasoline

food, housing, clothing, heat, healthcare, taxes, insurance, internet, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, cell phones, lottery tickets

it's always about gasoline

 

An aware individual also will realize that a Hybrid or EV does nothing to insulate them against high oil prices. (I own a PHEV).

Every consumable good that you need has to be transported to you. These transportation costs that are and will always be figured in to the price of these goods affect everyone (think groceries). Owning an EV or PHEV does nothing to eliminate or lessen these increasing cost to you.

A family's own transportation cost are really a drop in the bucket with all other cost that rising oil prices affects.

In a small way it is comforting to know that our own transportation cost are controllable by our vehicle choice but in the bigger picture for most, this controllable cost is insignificant compared to the bigger picture.

Even though I own a PHEV and the EV range covers almost all our trips, I certainly know that this is just a tiny piece of our budget, I also have empathy with individuals who can't afford or don't have an EV or PHEV and were already having trouble making ends meet before runaway inflation and high oil/gas prices.

We are all in this together no matter what car we drive.

California continues to paint itself into a corner with energy issues, it is a shame so many individuals are affected by their states decision to make energy prices skyrocket for their residents. If you remember back to the wildfires - the State of California sued itself by filing lawsuits against their own public utilities to make even their own electricity cost skyrocket. Their special fuel requirements and state taxes are doing the same thing for their gas. California has recently been given an exemption to use even more stringent emissions requirements for vehicles which are going to hit their residents right in the gut with even higher vehicle and energy cost. Their state- their prerogative, but it is hard for bystanders to get worked up over what in essence they are doing to themselves. There has to be a better way to curb emissions and help with clean air - one that average citizens can get on board with and help to reach their state goal by working for the common goal together with positive outcomes for both..

Article form 10 years ago that still holds true today:
California Voters Only Have Themselves to Blame for Soaring Pump Prices (cnbc.com)

 

I would concur something had to be done to curb the pollution.

I hope there is a win/ win solution for everyone that accomplishes this goal. Unfortunately other than a vibrant public transportation system I have no other ideas.

 

Gas prices will hit people in the gig economy and other low to medium income people pretty hard.
The WH was pretty quick to do the "Duck and Cover" dance behind "Putin's Gas Price Spike" without understanding that (a) prices were already spiking before the invasion and (2) Biden recently conducted an "I did that" press conference when prices moderated briefly during the most recent run-up in prices.

The bad thing about people?
They REMEMBER quotes.


It's interesting to see something other than the usual "LGB:" stickers on gas pumps....
They even sell them by the 100-pack on Amazon....




Of course....none of this affects EVangelists.....yet.

Stephen Colbert Jokes About Rising Gas Prices Amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict: I Drive a Tesla

Late-night host Stephen Colbert says a “clean conscience” is worth the rising price of gas amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Colbert addressed the rising prices on Monday night as he said, “Since the invasion, oil prices have skyrocketed. Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4 per gallon.”
“OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
Finally, he added, “I’m willing to pay $4 a gallon.

.....Hell, I’ll pay $15 a gallon cause I drive a Tesla.”

Prius Smug - ELECTRIFIED.

Elon Musk Making Friends With Big Oil, But Maybe Not Tesla Fans
Kinda interesting when there's a political divide between the "Henry Ford" of electric vehicles and some of the people who drive them.....

 

are we headed for fhopol?

i'm sure electric rates will follow in many areas, we've already been warned

 

I saw a sticker this AM:

MAGA
Make Affordable Gas Again.....

 

After watching horrifying video clips of artillery shells exploding while small children and elderly couples are scrambling to escape from the target city in Ukraine, I am no longer concerned much about rising gas prices in the US. That worry is so trivial compared to the fear of people in the war zone.

I just pray for a quick peaceful resolution. If that resolution is going to cost us $10/gal of gas or half of my earnings going to the heating oil, then so be it. That's such a small price to pay. I still have a roof over my head, food on the table and my life is not in any jeopardy. I will be thankful for that.

 

And plastic

 

Well, the ones that try to blame Biden forget in 2008 (under "W"), the national average was around 4.12.

Factoring inflation (31%) that would be around 5.40 in todays dollars.
$1 in 2008 → 2022 | Inflation Calculator

OK under W but horrible under Biden, OK

 

It's easy for me to remember the price being $4 ± here for the middle months of 2008, because I had just bought my 2001 Prius that spring, and it was funny to have a seven year old used car I'd just bought whose market price had just appreciated to $3,000 above what I paid for it.

Of course, late that year, because of the global economic collapse, the price went the other way, and on the last day of that year I paid $1.62 a gallon.

I remember seeing a rent-a-sign in front of a local business around 4 years later, early in the second Obama term. The gas price had only just managed to get almost back up to where it had been in 2008, and the sign showed the post-crash 2008 price, compared that to the current almost-back-to-$4 price, and said "thanks Obama!".

 

I can't say I blame you!!!
That makes two of us.
The thread title on offer IS the cost of gasoline, which is one very specific thread in a tapestry of energy policies.
If you're talking about physical costs expresses in $USD then you have to do a stare and compare with...."y".
That's interesting, but it only applies to a small (but LOUD) portion of the people playing the at-home version of the game.

Since we're in the Green section of the forum, one presumes that we're getting into socioeconomic costs, which brings non-gasoline products into the picture unless we can stipulate what percentage of distillates goes FOR gasoline, as opposed to the various flavors of oil, diesel (on road, off road, and locomotive, microgrid etc...), kerosene, avgas, etc....

(Math)
OK.
That's 2008. One data point.
What was it 10 years later? All the years in between?

They call them 'hard sciences' for a reason.
Well...except economics.
Coal is rapidly being supplanted by renewables but the BRIDGE between HERE and a zero-petrol (for energy) future goes right through oil refineries. We can go from the wellhead to the pump using USA environmental standards or we can continue the NIMBY approach.
Your call

FWIW the POTUS made the right call by no longer importing Russian energy.
If effective LEADERSHIP requires courage, that call could have been made a couple of weeks ago, BUT.......two things can be true at once.
Unwise domestic energy policies can lead to increased prices.
Wise OUTCONUS energy politics can too.

Domestic production CAN lead to MORE domestic defossilization if you manage the ones and zeros correctly.
Maybe bring the local price down to a manageable amount and then start directing fossil taxes at apolitical PRIVATE renewable development.

Seems to me?
We're not.
Neither party.

REAL energy prices, plotted out using REAL math shows REAL trends.

The rest?
Is "economics"


REAL WORLD mileage, of course, WILL vary.

 

SIL works for a local(ish) refinery. Their shutdowns for the this year haven't been done yet. I know this because the associated OT is like a second annual bonus for the family.
I won't go into specifics but they haven't had an OTJ injury in quite a while.

I live 3 miles from work and can walk to several stores...so my 17 year old, 20MPG ute is cheap enough for me to feed.

Gas politics are all "local."

 

as inflation rises, i become more conservative. does that take all the fun out of life? not at all.

if i could only get mrs. b to can the $240./mo. cable bill

 

Some were also shut down or damaged by winter storms in Texas this year.

 

And the response has been to ask for handouts and not fix the fundamental errors that created the failures in the first place.