Auto execs see soaring gas prices

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(malorn @ Jan 18 2007, 12:55 PM) [snapback]377280[/snapback]</div>

I don't recall saying gas would ever be under $2. Not here in So. Cal. Unless you call $1.98 for maybe a day or two.

As for what I base my predictions on? Well, greed. The oil companies did a study on what the market would bear; how high they could go before there was a rebellion. That magic number was $5.00 a gallon. (Some reporter walked in on a PowerPoint given to Oil executives. The news article is long gone now.) That's where they're heading, in a slow roller coaster. Go up high, come down some, go up again come down again but now as far down as below. Hey, we think $2.50 is low now. So they'll get it up to $3.50 for a while, then $2.75 will seem low. Etc. Etc.

I didn't buy my Prius for $3.00 a gallon. I bought it for when it gets to $5.00. Whether I have my current 2005, a new 2009 or the Lithium/Ion/Plug-in whenever it comes.

I'll be putting in PV and an on demand water heater for the same reason. For when natural gas keeps going up and kilowatts follow. If I wait, the tax credits are less and the cost will be more because the demand will increase. I can always add more PV and switch to electric appliances. And when I finally own my EV, I'll put in a few more panels.

We'll see who's the first to build that EV. One that can be BOUGHT, not leased. GM doesn't have the batteries yet. Ford doesn't have the the batteries yet. Toyota doesn't have the batteries yet. We'll see who gets there first.

And yes, I am a cynic and can find the gray cloud in any silver lining.