New posts from Gas 2.0! |
- Survey Says…Gas Will Soon be Too Expensive to Drive Normally
- Volvo’s New Ad Campaign: Every Drop Counts
- “Evil Ethanol” Saves Americans $0.89 Cents A Gallon
- Scooter Sales up 50% Over 2010
| Survey Says…Gas Will Soon be Too Expensive to Drive Normally Posted: 11 May 2011 04:13 PM PDT
22% of the respondents to the study were “extremely confident” that gas will soon be too expensive to drive normally. Another 41% are “somewhat confident” that their driving habits will have to change in accordance with high gas prices. That tallys up for a grand total of 63% of American motorists believing that gas will be so expensive that their time spent driving will sharply decline. How high will gas have to go before people opt for public transportation over driving? $4.90 per gallon was the tipping point for 42% of those surveyed. However, only 14% of those surveyed said that public transportation was an option because of convenience, while only 6% of those surveyed cited environmental conservation as a reason to take public transportation. It is very easy to dismiss survey data of this kind or any kind for that matter; surveys all depends on how the questions are asked and what the demographic of the people surveyed are. With gas prices hovering at or above $4.00 a gallon, high prices are certainly on peoples minds right now. The bigger point is that people are responding and the responses are striking and, frankly, accurate. People are already changing their driving habits due to the increased gas prices. This change in habit is not only affecting driving conditions but it is also having an impact on public transportation in cities across America. How much must gas cost before you start taking the bus to work? Source: HNTB Andrew Meggison was born in the state of Maine and educated in Massachusetts. Andrew earned a Bachelor's Degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University and a Master's Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Being an Eagle Scout, Andrew has a passion for all things environmental. In his free time Andrew enjoys writing, exploring the great outdoors, a good film, and a creative cocktail.
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| Volvo’s New Ad Campaign: Every Drop Counts Posted: 11 May 2011 11:03 AM PDT  Click to Enlarge Volvo‘s commercial truck division has just revealed its new ad campaign – Every Drop Counts – to promote its new trucks’ emphasis on fuel economy and their reduced environmental impact. The message of the “Every Drop Counts” campaign was repeated by Volvo CEO Staffan Jufors, who explained that "… lower fuel consumption is good for our customers and good for the environment, and that's a message we want to make sure gets through." Jufors also pointed out that the overall range of measures includes major technical innovations such as hybrid technology and natural-gas engines, as well as accessories and services – but it wasn’t just Volvo’s hardware that the new campaign is promoting. “It’s usually the hardware that gets all the attention,” notes Jufors. “The hardware is of course important and we are very proud of the fact that we have what is possibly the most efficient truck on the market. What is more important, however, is that we have now adopted a holistic approach based on the customer’s operations, aiming for optimal energy usage and minimised environmental impact. It’s all about big and small steps in harmony.” Jufors goes on explain that this approach towards maximizing efficiency – not only in Volvo’s truck line but also in the trucks’ service departments and tire choices – could cut overall fuel consumption by up to 14%. If that 14% turns out to be anything like true, fleet managers will be happy to add to Volvo’s recently surging profits by adding the Swedish automaker’s Scania-powered trucks to their line-up … which is good news for Volvo, and (potentially) good news for the environment, as well. The company has launched a new website to promote the Every Drop Counts campaign, focusing on the 30% fuel savings from the Heavy Hybrid trucks and 7% from the company’s innovative “IShift” automatic transmissions. CLICK HERE to visit the new Volvo trucks site. Source: Bloomberg, Volvo (via AutoEvolution).
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| “Evil Ethanol” Saves Americans $0.89 Cents A Gallon Posted: 11 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT
A recent joint study by the Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin showed that, on average, the 10% ethanol mixture in gasoline pushed down the price of gasoline by an average of $0.25 cents a gallon, and in the MidWest more like $0.39 cents a gallon. Wholesale prices of gasoline were reduced by $0.89 cents a gallon, as ethanol production accounts for 10% of all gasoline sales now.That kind of money adds up when you consider that the average American family buys around 900 gallons of fuel per year. The average family spends about $2,400 a year on gasoline; without ethanol, that price would be closer to $3,200. The paper, sponsored by the admittedly biased Renewable Fuels Association, also examined what gas prices would look like if ethanol was removed wholesale from the gasoline supply. The result would be gas prices between 40 and 90% higher than they already are, meaning prices in the $5.50 to $7.70 a gallon range. As a rule, I take any study with a grain (or burlap sack) of salt, and obviously the RFA is probably delighted with the results of this study. On the same token, this is kind of a common sense study. A lot of ethanol is still made from corn, which remains heavily subsidized even as oil prices hover around $100 a barrel. Now, if you had asked me, I would think ethanol knocks off closer to 10% off the price of a gallon of gas, which these days amounts to closer to $0.40 cents a gallon. Ethanol isn't free, I realize, and running E-85 can actually be quite expensive. But I am all for anything that reduces our dependence on oil, including ethanol. In may not be the panacea for all our energy problems, but in places like the MidWest ethanol certainly makes more sense than electric cars. And it just so happens it is saving us all a hefty chunk o' change. If we bumped the blend up to 15%, which studies show has no detrimental affect on older vehicles engines ,(still salty on that one too) we'd probably save even more loot. I won't hold my breath, but I will hold on to the hope that common sense will eventually overcome partisan politics (I almost wrote parmesan politics. Guess I’m hungry!) Source: Domestic Fuel | Image: Micheal Cote | Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.
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| Scooter Sales up 50% Over 2010 Posted: 11 May 2011 06:35 AM PDT
We covered the projected boom in global electric scooter sales last week, but recent news seems to indicate that gas-powered scooter sales are rapidly on the rise, as well. USA Today is reporting that sales of new scooters are up more than 50% compared to a year ago, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. The Council’s spokesman remarked that the industry “sees spikes when fuel prices rise,” and added that many scooters (like the newly CARB-certified 4-stroke Stella shown, above) easily exceed 60-80 mph – making them attractive alternatives for commuters looking to minimize the impact $5/gallon gasoline has on their wallets. The last time gas prices shot above $4 nationwide was July of 2008, when the national average for regular unleaded rose to $4.11 per gallon. Back then, 2-wheeled commuting rose 15% compared to 2007. As gas prices approach a $4/gallon national average again this summer, will more commuters turn to scooters to get around again, or will they stick to SUVs and pickups? My guess: scooter-mania! What about you, dear readers? Will you subscribe to Vespanomic theory and add a scooter (electric or otherwise) to your garage this year? Let us know, in the comments. Source: USA Today | Photo: Scooterworks USA.
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