Oh...My...Goodness! Hybrids anyone?

[KenpoEMT]

Hope this picture actually posts...

Never really gave any thought to purchasing a Hybrid vehicle before now. Drudge reports oil at $67/barrel. That's insane.

Last time I filled up, I payed $2.09/gallon. What are you paying?

 

[Tgace]

$2.30's-40's

 

[Kane]

Its even worse here in the bay area.

 

[Brother John]

It's $2.49 here in lil-Ole' Wichita Ks.
YUK!!!!!!!!
I travel 36 miles to work......One way.
.....and now that gas prices are this high and the fact that my car's A-C takes up More gas if I run it....
well.... looks like I'll just have to stick my head out the window and pant.
Guess I can always pretend I'm flying.

artyon:

Your Brother
John

 

[theletch1]

Just paid $2.42 per gallon about half an hour ago. Expected to continue to rise over the next little while. My driving habits won't change, though...they can't. The only driving I do is to and from work, the dojo and the grocery store (no I don't have a life, I have kids). Interesting thing about the gas prices here is that I was listening to a report on the radio that was telling us that prices were at an average $2.28 here in Roanoke...meanwhile, every station I passed was at least $2.40.

 

[Sapper6]

i filled up with super unleaded yesterday for $2.09. this morning that same station was selling regular unleaded for $2.39.

my company First Sergeant has a hybrid that gets 55 miles to the gallon; runs on battery power under 45MPH. he's laughing his **** off

 

[Tgace]

I was just discussing what I heard on ABC Nightly News. They say that oil refinery outages and fear over Irans Nukes jacked up prices. IMO thats a load of crap excuse to gouge more $$ out of consumers. If refineries are out that means raw crude should be stacking up right? Why is crude going up then? I could see the gas price going up but why Oil? I think the traders see that even though the cost is going up we are still buying. Why stop now? Make all the money you can right?

 

[KenpoEMT]

i filled up with super unleaded yesterday for $2.09. this morning that same station was selling regular unleaded for $2.39.

Sheesh!!

my company First Sergeant has a hybrid that gets 55 miles to the gallon; runs on battery power under 45MPH. he's laughing his **** off

:rofl: Just got a mental image of one of my PrickE-9's (who was a monster of a man) stuffing himself into an itty-bitty hybrid :rofl: .

Uh-oh, hope he doesn't read this board... :uhohh: It's been years since I've been in, but I have no doubt that he would find me and render my body into many unuseable pieces. :uhohh:

I was just discussing what I heard on ABC Nightly News. They say that oil refinery outages and fear over Irans Nukes jacked up prices. IMO thats a load of crap excuse to gouge more $$ out of consumers. If refineries are out that means raw crude should be stacking up right? Why is crude going up then? I could see the gas price going up but why Oil? I think the traders see that even though the cost is going up we are still buying. Why stop now? Make all the money you can right?

Something is not right about this whole situation. War is supposed to be a boon for the economy (it's the awful truth), and here we are getting yanked around by filthy rich billionaires and their corporate minions. Our military is consuming an inordinate amount of fuel; you would think that this fact of profit alone would be enough to sate the greed of the seven sisters.

Really, how much money is enough for one person or corporation?

 

[Phoenix44]

It's just #$%@* ridiculous. $2.63 regular self-serve.

I have a friend who has a hybrid Toyota. He's very happy with it.

Fortunately I get 37 mpg highway with my Honda Civic. And I just signed a contract for a solar array to supply electricity for my house. Some of the electric companies are giving great incentives, and some states are offering tax credits.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Hope this picture actually posts...

Never really gave any thought to purchasing a Hybrid vehicle before now. Drudge reports oil at $67/barrel. That's insane.

Last time I filled up, I payed $2.09/gallon. What are you paying?

Do a search on line and research your hybrid before you buy.

** Note I work on hybrids now, and I still am telling you to do your research even though that means one or more less sales **

Many of the Hybrids, do not get the fuel economy they claim. Some of the Japanese companies have used the tests (* Just like the America Comapnies in the past *) to optimize their fuel economy numbers for the test. Actual real world numebrs are much less.

Search for a class action law suit against some of these companies.

Let us look at the cost and return for the buying of a hybrid.

The Average Hybrid is about $6,000 more than the non hybrid version of the car.

Let us say Gas is $3.00 per Gallon.

Let us say we drive 60 miles per day.

Let us say we get 38 mpg for a small car.

Then we buy a hybrid at 51 mpg (* Assumption real world mileage is even close to this *)

5 Years Regular car costs $8644 - Hybrid is $6441 - Savings $2203

10 Years Regular car costs $17289 - Hybrid is $12882 - Savins $4407

So Similiar cars will not gain the cost back in 10 years.

Now if you look at change sizes of cars and actually going to something smaller then it should pay off.

Let us say Gas is $3.00 per Gallon.

Let us say we drive 60 miles per day.

Let us say we get 38 mpg for a small car.

Then we buy a hybrid at 51 mpg (* Assumption real world mileage is even close to this *)


Now my V6 Manual Convertible Firebird gets 27 MPH consistently. And I did not drive to conserve fuel.

5 Years Regular car costs $12166 - Hybrid is $6441 - Savings $5725

10 Years Regular car costs $24333 - Hybrid is $12882 - Savins $11450

So If I paid cash for either vehicle then after about 6 years I would break even to loose all the fun and save the money from gasoline.

Yet, many people want to deel good and buy a Hybrid and they get to pay in the monthly versus the weekly fill up. If you finance the cost of the car it only gets worse.

Just make an educated purchase is all I ask. Now, some Hybrids can deliver a better acceleration, and performance in a small vehicle. This is nice to see, but research and investigate and understand what you are buying.

******************

Now to the cost of fuel, this is outrageous. I agree with Tgace that this is just a way to get more money out of peopl and to also get the Fuel costs here in the US in line with the rest of the world, only elsewhere it is all tax and that tax is used for the betterment of the members of that country.

:soapbox:

 

[Tgace]

Fortunately I drive to work and back in my car (10min drive) and thats about it except for the odd trip. My wife does most of the driving shopping, kid ferrying etc. Even there suburban living doesnt chew up a ton of gas. So even though its more $$ out of pocket I dont really see a big difference in our immediate budget. Thats probably true for a lot of folks so we keep on paying and the price keeps climbing.

 

[Tgace]

Very interesting points there Rich..I would never have thought of that.

 

[MisterMike]

My 01 Dakota 4X4 got 16 mpg (had oversize tires, originally got 18 mpg)

I put 160k on it and traded it plus $1K for a '02 Ford Focus which gets 36+ mpg.

I use it for commuting to work.

I miss my truck though. I'll probably get a beat up truck for limited use in the winter.

 

[Flatlander]

I am paying 99.9 cents/Litre. 1 Litre = 0.26 Gallons. Therefore, I am paying $3.84 Canadian/US Gallon.

Today, $1.00 Canadian = $0.8355 US. Therefore, I am paying $4.60 US/US Gallon. And we produce more of this **** than you guys. In fact, we sell you our surplus.

 

[MisterMike]

Today, $1.00 Canadian = $0.8355 US

Heyyy!!! When did that happen? Last time I was talking to a Canuck it was around $1.00 vs. $.55

 

[Flatlander]

Heyyy!!! When did that happen? Last time I was talking to a Canuck it was around $1.00 vs. $.55

Our dollar has become intricately tied to the value of oil. Further, our economy is rocking due to fiscal prudence and sound investment by our government. Your government has been, well, less prudent....

 

[Rich Parsons]

Our dollar has become intricately tied to the value of oil. Further, our economy is rocking due to fiscal prudence and sound investment by our government. Your government has been, well, less prudent....

Actually with the Euro being based to the USD at launch and then adjusting afterwards, this had a leveling affect of monies, that had ties to Europe or North America. The only major markets not directly (* although indirectly *), effect is south east Asia.

The Oil only helped some, the Euro and reference to the British Pound also helped.

 

[Makalakumu]

Well, then there is this...

Oil 'will hit $100 by winter'

Worst-ever crisis looms, says analyst · Surging demand to keep prices high

Heather Stewart, economics correspondent
Sunday July 3, 2005
The Observer

Oil prices could rocket to $100 within six months, plunging the world into an unprecedented fuel crisis, controversial Texan oil analyst Matt Simmons has warned.

After crude surged through $60 a barrel last week, nervous investors were pinning their hopes on a build-up in US oil-stocks to depress prices in the coming months.

But Simmons believes surging demand will keep prices bubbling well above $50. 'We could be at $100 by this winter. We have the biggest risk we have ever had of demand exceeding supply. We are now just about to face up to the biggest crisis we have ever had,' he said.

 

[KenpoEMT]

Well, then there is this...

Oil 'will hit $100 by winter'

Worst-ever crisis looms, says analyst · Surging demand to keep prices high

You know, I really didn't believe any of the speculation about oil eventually hitting $55/barrel. I thought it was ludicrous, yet here we are in the mid-to-upper $60's.
$100/barrel by winter? um...that's ludicrous :uhohh: ...I hope...

 

[Kreth]

I was reading an article in the local paper the other day. Gas prices are higher even though we have (in the US) a larger oil reserve than we did one year ago. Speculators are pointing to the war (even though it has had little effect on oil production), and the fact that the US has not built a new refinery since 1976 (even though many refineries have expanded their capacity, in some case by a great deal).
BTW, the price for regular unleaded here in upstate NY currently sits at $2.49.