Next stop: $3.35 per gallon, according to fuel experts

"The average price of gasoline in San Diego on April 2nd last year was $2.77. Now, one gallon is up to $3.28, even though the price of a barrel of oil has dropped."

"Langley estimates the oil refinery profit margin is about 50 cents per gallon more now than it was in 2001. For a person who buys a tank of gas per week for a vehicle with a twenty gallon tank, this amounts to an extra $1,000 paid over the course of a year."

From Full Focus on KPBS.

In San Diego I expect gas to reach $4 a gallon at least once this year.

 

$3.35 a gallon would be a price drop for many parts of California.

Nate

 

$3.35?

We already hit that price point last month ....

Thank G-d for our New Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Apr 5 2007, 04:13 PM) [snapback]418423[/snapback]</div>

I expect most of the country to see $4 this year, and wouldn't be surprised to see SD over at $4.20 or so.

 

Is it wrong that this doesn't bother me anymore? It has nothing to do with the Prius, at least I don't think...my last car was easy on the gas as well. I think I'm just being zombified by the games that the oil companies and traders have been playing for the last few years. I see the prices go up and I think "Oh, that's nowhere near as bad as I saw it last year! Wake me up when it hits $3.50"

Then again I can still fill my tank on a $20 and get change back...that's the smug kicking in. Just a little.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Apr 5 2007, 05:14 PM) [snapback]418425[/snapback]</div>

(sorry for the cheezy phone camera pic)
That's RIGHT :angry:
Here in the hoiety-toiety part of So. Cal, they figure we can afford it.

 

So what is that? Self serve on the left and full service on the right?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Apr 5 2007, 09:57 PM) [snapback]418583[/snapback]</div>

I didn't know they still had "Full Service". That takes me back...

 

Here is what I saw today ...
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=30...p;Business=true

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jgills240 @ Apr 5 2007, 07:18 PM) [snapback]418498[/snapback]</div>

I expect that if that happens, and oil companies are still reporting record profits, there's going to be some very interesting developments for oil executives. Piss people off enough, and no amount of body guards in the world will be able to keep you safe.

The general populace might be stupid, but not stupid enough to think that Exxon should be able to keep a high profit margin when fuel is that expensive. If the government doesn't do something about it, I'm pretty sure there are groups out there that will.

I'm glad I'm not related to any oil men.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gojira @ Apr 5 2007, 11:31 PM) [snapback]418616[/snapback]</div>

But they have been recording record profits. Time and again. And nothing happens. Probably because those in a position to do something also own oil stock.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(screaming red @ Apr 5 2007, 04:58 PM) [snapback]418415[/snapback]</div>

Are you aware that some people on this forum want gas to go way up? Yes, they think that's the answer to the problem. I disagree. Why do you have the Expedition now? Why not get a 2nd Prius and save $$$ ? I think many more people need to dump the gas hogs and drive sensible cars. Of course many won't, until all the ice on the planet melts & we have no more fresh water to live on. But, for now they will keep their SUV's, huge trucks, and will insist they have the right to have them. So, as gas guzzling vehicles suck up more gas the price will keep going up. I have to suffer because of the selfish, self-serving types that will not get a practical vehicle. I HATE paying the oil cos. & Arabs for their lousy overpriced gasoline. They give us NOTHING for all the $$$ they've stolen from the world's people's.

Sorry for the rant-It's not directed at you. I have a real problem with gas prices and the greedy oil cos.

 

I filled up this morning, 10 gallons, $30.99. The large SUV in front of me at the same time spent $80+. The people filling the SUV just laughed it off.

I would like gasoline to go to $10 per gallon, with the "extra" invested in long-term alternatives: light rail, high speed rail, freight rails, extended bicycle & pedestrian paths. California has a "hot rod" culture that drives jacked up large pickups and mega-sized vehicles, with little regard for fuel economy or air quality. As a culture, we don't seem to think until there is a "crisis," then we get serious. At $10 per gallon, people will become more serious.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(skruse @ Apr 5 2007, 09:11 PM) [snapback]418633[/snapback]</div>

Well, not so much the "air quality" part, since we have the most stringent air quality laws in the nation (always have had). But you're right about the big car culture. You see tons of them here.

I have been averaging over 50mpg the last two weeks ... three weeks ago, after my oil change, my mileage was down into the low 40s. The dealer had lowered the air pressure to 35psi, so I put it back up to 42/40, and got my 47.5 mpg average on my commute (mixed freeway and city driving with freeway speeds up to 80mph). I thought I'd try to see what would happen if I kept to the right and stayed at no more than 65 mph a few days. I'm averaging 54.5 mpg now. And I don't think my commute is taking any longer (I spend time stopped in a couple of places, so how fast I get to those bottlenecks doesn't seem to make a big difference in the commute).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Gojira @ Apr 5 2007, 09:31 PM) [snapback]418616[/snapback]</div>

You know ... you could be right. There are plenty of extreme right-wing domestic terrorism groups in Michigan, Idaho, Montana, Alabama ... if it gets bad enough, I could see them going postal on some corporate buildings.

 

People can piss and moan about high gas prices all they want. As long as we keep buying, they'll keep raising the price for every little thing. Investors continue to speculate on the cost of oil and profits of the producers, which drives up the price because so much oil stock and contracts are being bought.

My license plate says LOLGAS, because I laugh every time I get passed by some jackass in an SUV or full-size truck (which is literally over 50% of the vehicles in Anchorage). I know they're getting hosed at the pump while I rack up the sweet high mileage. I think I paid $18 a few days ago and started thinking what else I could do to increase the mileage.

The changes I made worked and I'm back to 45 MPG this tank with over 120 miles gone.