How come we haven't talked about gas prices? [Admin Warning: NO POLITICS]

[rdc17]

I live in Northern Virginia. Traffic sucks and gas is expensive, but even though I live next to a Metro station I can't even use it because 75% of their trains have been out of service since October with no return date in sight. I fly a lot for work and because I'm usually on early morning flights out of DCA the train schedule right now means I can't get to the airport on time. So I have no choice but to drive.

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[sparkerk]

Right there with you. I laugh when the rest of the country gets all spun up on anything over $4. We've been living that for the past 3 years. Average in San Diego is well over $6 and creeping toward $7, just insane.

Woosa.....Woosa.....Goosfraba.....

Agreed. Luckily my Escape is a flex-fuel, so I can run E85. Not a ton of stations have it, but most that do are around 3.39-3.59 a gallon for E85 right now. I take a hit on mileage a bit using E85, but I made a simple spreadsheet years ago that calculates my price per mile based on my expected mileage with each type of fuel and it's price. I put in new prices this morning and it says that its 5 or 6 cents cheaper per mile to run the E85 based on the most recent prices, so I'll probably do that next time I fill up rather than pay $6 or more dollars a gallon (if the prices are the same or similar). Ridiculous isn't it? Can't wait for my 1.5 BB to come... I'll significantly increase my city mileage over my 2010 V6 Escape, from 17-18 to 25. (which I still love even though its not the best on gas).

 

[Big Kahuna]

Prices in town today... We live about 24 miles from the exact center of California.

 

[21Broncosaurus]

Gas prices really screwing me. I’m in SoCal gas is over $6 gallon. I commute 90 miles round trip Mon-Fri and fill up approx $80 every 4 days on 91 grade.

 

[Osco]

A question I've asked for years is why economical bi-fuel engines are not available. Even discussed with Boone Pickens one time. He was driving a CNG powered Honda to make a point. Was pushing his plan to convert HD trucks to CNG. Right now at the local Love's CNG is $1.69. Back when vehicles had carburetors several of my relatives ran their pickups and tractors on propane. The turn of a lever under the dash would toggle between gasoline/propane. Surely today's engineers could come up with an economical engine that could do this.

If the demand increased CNG would be 4 bucks a gallon. Big oil owns us and that’s why future tech is held back.
We should have been on hydrogen 20 years ago. You know the one and only fuel that’s plentiful and it’s exhaust is water, That you could drink !

 

[Jess1]

CNG has high NoX emissions. Can't have that. *shrugs*

 

[mizzoubronco]

We just drove to Ft. Myers Florida (from Iowa) for Spring Break. We put almost 4,000 mi on the rental during that time, and while higher gas prices were annoying, it never really made us think about changing our plans.

To put it in numbers, we had to refill about 8 or 9 times in all. If you go back to when gas prices were a more reasonable $3.25/gal here in Iowa, you’re talking about maybe$52to fill the tank of our rental Chrysler Pacifica vs about the highest cost we paid on our trip of $4.39/gal making it closer to $70 to fill the tank, you’re really only talking about an additional $150 in gas for the trip. Compared to other expenses on a typical spring break trip, $150 just didn’t really seem like much to fuss over.

It’s annoying, but it’s already started going back down here so it’s nothing I would change plans over ?‍

 

[AmazingSieve]

Prices in town today... We live about 24 miles from the exact center of California.

I got hit up for $6.35 for 87 on the way up to Bishop. Car said 30mi to empty so they kinda had me

 

[Bronclahoma]

If the demand increased CNG would be 4 bucks a gallon. Big oil owns us and that’s why future tech is held back.
We should have been on hydrogen 20 years ago. You know the one and only fuel that’s plentiful and it’s exhaust is water, That you could drink !

If the demand increased for CNG auto use it would take away the demand for gasoline and prices would decrease. With a bi-fuel engine you could use either.

 

[Bronclahoma]

If the demand increased CNG would be 4 bucks a gallon. Big oil owns us and that’s why future tech is held back.
We should have been on hydrogen 20 years ago. You know the one and only fuel that’s plentiful and it’s exhaust is water, That you could drink !

OK, TX and AR just formed a consortium to develop hydrogen production. Takes lots of nat gas BTW.

 

[Bronclahoma]

If the demand increased CNG would be 4 bucks a gallon. Big oil owns us and that’s why future tech is held back.
We should have been on hydrogen 20 years ago. You know the one and only fuel that’s plentiful and it’s exhaust is water, That you could drink !

GM was really into hydrogen research when they filed B/K in 2009, project was scrapped and so far as I know still is. They had a prototype hydrogen generator about the size of a semi trailer powering a chemical plant on the Gulf coast. They seem to be all in on electric now. Some HD truck manufacturers are working on hydrogen.

I'm not convinced electric is the way. Probably best policy is an "all of the above." Gasoline/CNG/electric/hydrogen. Setting time limits on fossil fuels to reduce questionable declines in climate change is not working. Electric doesn't work in remote areas where Broncos spend a lot of time.

 

[thekingprawn]

I'm not convinced electric is the way. Probably best policy is an "all of the above." Gasoline/CNG/electric/hydrogen. Setting time limits on fossil fuels to reduce questionable declines in climate change is not working. Electric doesn't work in remote areas where Broncos spend a lot of time.

Exactly this. Also, we're struggling with meeting electricity needs now, and that isn't going to get better with millions of cars plugged in every night.

 

[MaxVelocity]

Years ago our local electric utility experimented with CNG for their fleet vehicles. It didn't last long but I'm not sure why. They had their own filling station on-site, but I always heard that the biggest challenge on a large-scale for the general public would be dealing with fueling stations.

 

[Bronclahoma]

Years ago our local electric utility experimented with CNG for their fleet vehicles. It didn't last long but I'm not sure why. They had their own filling station on-site, but I always heard that the biggest challenge on a large-scale for the general public would be dealing with fueling stations.

Norman, OK, runs its sanitation trucks and buses on clean burning CNG. The City provides a public filling site. Love's Travel Stops have CNG around here, but don't think they do everywhere. Norman only has three charging sites. I doubt we are unique. Huge infrastructure deficiencies to go all electric.

I lean toward the best engine to be a bi-fuel gas/CNG for vehicles like Broncos. Gasoline is available everywhere and a low cost option is available in many places. Our nation has huge quantities of nat gas and it requires less processing and can be transported faster than crude. It burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel. But the auto manufacturers seem to be running like lemmings toward the all electric.

 

[slowpoke17]

Purchased in western Massachusetts at $3.94 yesterday for 87 octane. That did include a .15 cent discount with my loyalty card.

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