CNN/Money: Two big refineries in Port Arthur representing half a million gallons daily will be offine for awhile - cautiously optimistic that the other refineries on the Texas Gulf did not receive significant damage.

 

AZCivic, I think you are right about the moving target of gas prices changing behaviour. People adapt, or become anaesthetized as the case may be. And half of the populace live in credit card debt. That should tell you something.

There will be a *very* gradual move away from monster cars, IMO, as the economy deteriorates. I think the only conditions that will accelerate this are either an energy associated recession, or a shift in cultural viewpoint that oversized cars are unpatriotic.

 

Only when Americans learn to forgoe ego and realize that we don't have to be biggestfastestbest will the second ever happen. AKA never.

 

Maybe there's hope after all:

U.S. Retail Gas Prices Drop 20 Cents

 

I read the other day that American consumers are changing the way they drive - slowly, but surely. We're consuming 200,000 barrels LESS per day than at this time last year. The first time since the 70's that we're actually using less fuel.

Of course, 200k barrels is a drop in the bucket, but it's a start.

 

I'm thinking that $3/gallon is the breaking point for SUV guzzlers. During the week that gas was above $3.00, I saw a lot fewer SUVs and *no* Hummers. Then gas dropped back into the $2.79 range, and the H2's and Land Yachts came back out. But now gas is above $3 again, and the most monsterous of vehicles are off the road once more.

so... If gas will only stay slightly above $3, then the Land Yacht owners may actually change their driving habits permanently.

 

Although that would be nice, I'd rather not pay the $3/gal to keep the SUVs and H2's home. I'd rather see it drop to a normal price (What is normal anyway? When I started driving it was less $1/gal for the 89 octane gas......and no I'm not insanely old). Anyway, normal price that we can all afford, and maybe charge SUVs and H2s more since they use more. Wouldn't that be fair? You choose to drive it, you pay the cost of it?

 

You already get charged more when you use more. It's called paying for gasoline. If you use 50 gallons a month, you have to pay for 50 gallons. If you use 200 gallons, you have to pay for 200 gallons.

 

The only way the government will be able to effectively bring about better fuel economy (without loopholes or unfair gimmicks) would be to drastically increase taxes on fuel. Politically that would be suicide though. Personally, I wouldn't mind it so long as the gas tax actually went to improving the roads, instead of just into pork spending like now. The change to be of any meaning at all though will have to hit people in the pocketbook, rather than trying to enforce 55mph speed limit nonsense. However, such a hike would drastically harm the economy, as the price of shipping would rise, among other innumerable factors.

Even at $3 a gallon, fuel cost is minor compared to the overall cost of ownership for most of the cars out there. What needs to be done is that automakers shoudl make lots of minor, relatively inexpensive modifications to all their vehicles to improve overall fuel economy--

1) Idle-Stop standard
2) Cylinder shutoff standard
3) Using effectively free software controls to streamline accessory use: ie only load the alternator when cruising or decelerating, cut the AC compressor when accelerating.
4) tack on a fuel consumption display

Hybrid cars also have a lot of room for improvement, mostly in the area of software controls (which should be almost completely free for the automakers). One thing that I've thought of would be some kind of cruise control that would vary only the electric motors, rather than the overall throttle, to maintain speed. Another idea I've thought might work is some kind of cruise control pulse-and-glide that would run the engine at intervals (with some forced charging) then maintain the speed with the stored energy, with the engine shut off in between. Definitely though, there should be controls offered to the users to optimize the charge/assist logic depending on terrain (mountains, light hills, flats) or driving style (ie "power" or "sport" mode and "economy" mode).

 

If reference to that article from the Dallas Morning News on "Keeping Up With the Jones", I'm wondering if more effective ways to get some of these status-minded people to cold-turkey would be:

• gas stations to revert to cash only
• make small parking spots
• find a way to make land barges uncool

Too many people are so addicted to these vehicles that higher prices will not pry their claws off these vehicles. It will change some minds, but many will remain addicted.