Fuel Oil

[k4kyv]

I do like the idea of changing the insurance laws so that you are not double billed if you own two vehicles, this would encourage those that need a work truck to drive it when necessary and then to drive a more economical vehicle when possible.

Not only insurance laws, but vehicle registration laws as well.  Even if I own a whole fleet of vehicles, I can only drive one at a time.  Once I buy a set of registration plates, I should be able to legally bolt them on to any vehicle I have a valid title to, and the insurance would automatically cover whatever vehicle is carrying those plates.

[Bill, KD0HG]

..disposal of wastes..

That's why God created Nevada, Don.

[k4kyv]

Oh, is that the location of the graveyards where the 3878 and 3892 crew have their pre-need burial plans?

[NE4AM]

Just going through the math, my '95 Dakota extended-cab gives me 20 mpg, and lets me haul plywood & kids & deer & anything else.  My daily commute costs me $8 right now. If I make this commute 250 times per year, that equals $2000 fuel costs per year.

 I bought it a last year, paid $4000 cash.  At my current rate of 10k miles per year, I could get 5 years out of it. Total cost of ownership, assuming gas stays where it is, would be $14k, over 5 years.

To determine the cost of a hybrid vehicle, I looked at ebay, for a used Prius.  I would probably need $16k to $20k for a 2004 or 2005 model,  and count on ditching it five years down the line when the batteries crap out.  If the Prius got 50 mpg, I'd spend $800 a year on gas, or $4000 over 5 years.  Total cost of the Prius would be $20k to $24k, not including financing costs, since I don't have the cash to pay for one.  

Assuming $24k for the Prius cost of ownership over five years, there is a $10k cost differential compared to my truck, or $2.5k per year.  Economically, it would only make sense for me to make the trade if gas increased past $11 a gallon.

Do the numbers.

73 - Dave

[NE4AM]

Scuse me -

'Assuming $24k for the Prius cost of ownership over five years, there is a $10k cost differential compared to my truck, or $2k per year.  Economically, it would only make sense for me to make the trade if gas increased past $11 a gallon.'

fixed error.

[w3jn]

It's a fool's errand to buy a new vehicle to save money.  The depreciation right off the lot will pay for a LOT of fuel 

[W3RSW]

Commodity trading or market based pricing is what keeps us from sitting in long gas lines as many of us did in '72 and '74.   Long term contracts seem quaint now, but ham-handed regulation is far worse.  Sometimes bursting a bubble needs a little help by other means.

So given that it's the speculators and spot buying that's driving the price right now:

A little quiet diplomacy may or ought to be going on between a world's superpower and several middle east sattrapies run by family princes.
It could go like this:

"Say OPEC ol' buddies, maybe a lot more oil should be temporarily pumped to break the speculation bubble if say, ya'all don't want to be left to the mercy of some extreme, ah, religious sects in your part of the world."

"  Uh we might have to pull out all our forc.. ,er, ah, facilities in your part of the world.  Yeah, oil prices will definitely go wild, most likely way up,.... but then ya'all won't be around to celebrate the price hike, will ya?"  We might even have to actually hold you accountable for funding of such extremists as you have all along.  What's the difference to us if oil climbs to an extortionist price either way?"

"And, oh yeah, did ya'all know that all the gorgeous, brand new cities, highrises, artificial palm islands, other grand stuff your building can now be held to nucu..., er, terrorist blackmail standards jes like all our stuff in the western world?   Ah, you got an infrastructure and way of life to protect now.   Be a shame to see the whole middle east become another Lebanon."  "Why for the sake of radio in local publication standards, y'all might even lose ur radios."

[WA1GFZ]

Gee Rick,
That has a nice ring to it....Maybe they could get China to move in and keep peace.

[W3RSW]

Yeah, I've been watching too many Dr. Strangeglove movies lately, heh, heh.
- But price reflects instability. Bet the Romans wouldn't have had some of our problems. 

[W1RKW]

As Irb would say, the traitors should be thrown in jail for treason. 

Right on Jerry!
The traitors need to stop sending our money and jobs away.

[W1RKW]

I have a friend at work who is running a 4 cylinder farm tractor exclusively on HHO and he claims it runs no different than good ole gas.  He built an electrolyzer and injects the HHO into the engine directly.  He had to change the timing on it as well but otherwise one wouldn't know the difference. 

Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu-Hg6ntgqI

[k4kyv]

'Assuming $24k for the Prius cost of ownership over five years, there is a $10k cost differential compared to my truck, or $2k per year.  Economically, it would only make sense for me to make the trade if gas increased past $11 a gallon.'

If We All Started Driving Priuses, We'd Consume More Energy Than Ever Before.
While energy efficiency is laudable, history shows that it leads to people consuming more energy.

http://texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2749

[ka3zlr]

Well, ya know I really miss my F-250, but, well, obvious demands rule the roost Here.

I have four more Semesters left for the Second daughter, the third daughter Graduates H.S. here in June and She'll be doing her thing this fall..So the old man gets little in the way of any kind of Manly Toys for awhile...But that little Ranger does preform rather well...Fuel usage isn't too bad, it'd prolly do better if i didn't get the off road package... ..But i have to allow myself a little indulgence... even if it is a Shortie P/U...

I just wished My Da Gone Dollar would go just a little further...than it does...

[K6JEK]

'Assuming $24k for the Prius cost of ownership over five years, there is a $10k cost differential compared to my truck, or $2k per year.  Economically, it would only make sense for me to make the trade if gas increased past $11 a gallon.'

If We All Started Driving Priuses, We'd Consume More Energy Than Ever Before.
While energy efficiency is laudable, history shows that it leads to people consuming more energy.

http://texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2749

Gosh Don.  Since when do your read Texas newspapers? The guy who does the fuel analysis for the state of California reported that year over year Ca used less gasoline than last year, not just per capita, flat out less. He attributed the decline to the change in the CA fleet to more efficient vehicles and singled out the Prius as a factor.  They are in abundance out here. As far as I know, he owns no stock in Toyota.

My wife and I do not drive more miles. We just give half as much money to the oil companies. They have plenty already as do their friends in Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, etc.

I agree with earlier commentators. Buying new cars to save money doesn't. But when you need a new car, buying one that uses half as much gas can save you money.

[KL7OF]

I have heard that the energy used in manufacturing the hybrid cars, specifically the hi-tech batteries, exceeds any energy savings that could be gained over the life of the vehicle....as compared to a gasoline only powered vehicle......Does anyone know the facts?

[K6JEK]

I have heard that the energy used in manufacturing the hybrid cars, specifically the hi-tech batteries, exceeds any energy savings that could be gained over the life of the vehicle....as compared to a gasoline only powered vehicle......Does anyone know the facts?

It's bunk.  This is an echo of a thoroughly discredited report called "Dust to Dust" put out by a marketing firm in Oregon. It purported to show that a Hummer was better than a Prius in life cycle energy consumption. This study was thoroughly discredited by everyone and his brother from Toyota to Treehugger.com. Just do a Google search on "Prius vs Hummer" and stand back. You'll get the whole scene from the original report, Prius bashers jumping in saying nah nah ni nah nah (George Will for example) to real science. Take your pick. I personally liked the assumption that a Hummer would last something like 350,000 miles and a Prius would last something like 100,000.  That makes sense. Toyota is known for making crappy cars.  Anyway.   It's nonsense.

It sure would make me happier if Ford or Chevy made a Prius.  I do have high hopes for the Volt.  But when it came to buying a car I decided it was more important to give less money to terrorists than it was to give more money to General Motors or Ford.

[Bill, KD0HG]

As I previously said here, it's truly regrettable that the last remaining American auto companies completely blew it with respect to efficient vehicles.

A Prius isn't everyones cup of tea, but they should have at least offered American consumers the option. Instead, we got the usual half-assed fluff out of Detroit.

What's the latest from Chevy...A hybrid Suburban? What idiots. What fools. Who is gonna pay an extra $10K for 4 or 5 extra MPG? Who buys a Suburban for the mileage? They could have put a Cummins or Mercedes 6-banger turbodiesel in the thing and gotten maybe 10 more MPG for a lot less money.

Oops. Did I mention GM and diesel in the same sentence?

[Opcom]

I'd like a diesel-electric. all wheel drive like a locomotive, that is, the wheels are electric, and the engine turns an alternator at an efficient speed. If it is a large vehicle, then a small diesel APU could provide the air conditioning (and power for the 1500W AM rig) when the vehicle is sitting in traffic. It would take some doing I suppose to make a suspension and "wheel motors" for propulsion and regenerative braking with disc brakes for a backup and the actual stopping. I figure an average of 20HP rating on each wheel, peak rating of 100HP for acceleration and braking, and a good size battery, and everyone could use something like that if they wanted to. One thing looming in the future of used hybrids as they age will be the replacement of that battery and it won't be cheap.

[ka3zlr]

I think it's nice that what leadership is in place is traveling and out of sight more or less..(by choice or Hiding)..?...not to start a Pol. Bashing contest.. or go Pol. but hey I could use a little reassurance of some type in my country... was my country..used to be my country..at some point....

I'm not lost in assumed debt yet, but, dismayed in the lack of any Real Inspiring leadership.

[kb3nqd]

Oops. Did I mention GM and diesel in the same sentence?

Interesting you should mention that.  I wanted to buy a fuel efficient vehicle as a commuter car last year.  My preference was the Jetta diesel but it wasn't offered last year due to "new" import restrictions.  It seems Detroit convinced lawmakers to make diesels a little harder to import so that they could get a leg up.  It only took the Germans a year to meet these new higher standards.  It will probably take Detroit more than 3 years to "gear up".  Diesel really should not be as expensive as it is but the trucking industries dependency on diesel makes it easy for refiners to demand a higher rate.  I ended up buying a Civic Hybrid.  I heard on the radio this morning that gas is 3.96 in many locations around D.C.  It looks like this car will pay for itself a lot faster than I thought (I estimated five years) it would at those prices.

[WA1GFZ]

I'll continue to buy American because I'm American and like to employ Americans and like to keep the dollar in America.
F$$K the rest of the world as they would F$$K us every chance they get.

My next ride will do E85
I'm not going to spend big bucks to pay bigger bucks to plug it in at night for a charge. 

[k4kyv]

I'll continue to buy American because I'm American and like to employ Americans and like to keep the dollar in America.
F$$K the rest of the world as they would F$$K us every chance they get.

You need to have a reality check.  As for as consumer junk, where are you going to find anything not made in China.  Have you visited Wal-of-China Mart lately?

Even "American" cars like Ford and GM are full of parts made in Mexico and other 3rd world countries where they can get away with paying their employees 30¢ an hour, or in Japan where the quality is as good as or better than what is produced here.  Many "foreign" cars are made in USA.  Nissan, Toyletota... and now Volkswagen is actively looking for a site to open a factory in the US.  One of the attractions to build here I'm sure is the weak US dollarette, which allows them to pay substandard wages compared with what they would have to pay workers in Germany or Japan.

The last Yank Tank I bought was a Mercury Sable.  It was a comfortable ride and gave good service while it  lasted, but its gas mileage was nothing to write home about, and it crapped out before 140K miles.  Every piece of Jap Crap I have ever owned, new or used, has lasted at least to 180K.  We now have two Mazdas, one with 110K and the other with 150K, and shooting for at least 200K each.

Just like ceiling fans and plastic radio appliances, they don't make 'em in USA like they once did.  I'd bet Ten-Tec's latest rigs are full of parts made in Malaysia and Taiwan.

[W8EJO]

Thermal Conversion Process, or TCP.
"With TCP, the 6 billion tons of agricultural waste could theoretically be converted into 4 billion barrels of oil."

http://www.changingworldtech.com/what/index.asp

[K6JEK]

I'll continue to buy American because I'm American and like to employ Americans and like to keep the dollar in America.
F$$K the rest of the world as they would F$$K us every chance they get.

My next ride will do E85
I'm not going to spend big bucks to pay bigger bucks to plug it in at night for a charge. 

I certainly agree with the sentiment. However, I think the present choices are sending the money to Japan for a fuel efficient car or sending it to Saudi Arabia for the oil.  I chose Japan. Maybe later the options will be better. 

A friend got an E85 car. Out here E85 doesn't exist. 

SunPower, the company that made the solar panels I got, shifted production from the US of A to the Philippines. I apparently got the last of the US of A panels. At least that's what the installer said. He could have been making it up.

To keep this from being a complete downer, here's a US company leading the charge for cheaper solar panels. They've built a big factory right here in America. Thin film solar should be a lot cheaper than the stuff I have on my roof but the efficiency is about half.  You need a big roof.

http://www.nanosolar.com/

[WA1GFZ]

Don,
Never been in a wallmart is it nice?