It is predicted that Summer 2018 will see the USA go back to $3.00 to $3.50 gas prices (excluding California and a couple of other places which through legislation make their gas a lot more expensive).
The USA is now an oil exporter again, so why is this happening? The problem in the USA is that where the oil is being produced does not have the current pipeline capacity to get to refineries. The price per barrel in many areas is far below the world wide price because the only way to ship it is by truck or train which is very expensive.
With the USA hammering Iran their oil exports should fall. Venezuela has screwed up their economy and oil industry to the point where they have very little product hitting the market. Thus, world prices are going up.
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Quote from: airboy on May 14, 2018, 10:04:58 AM
It is predicted that Summer 2018 will see the USA go back to $3.00 to $3.50 gas prices (excluding California and a couple of other places which through legislation make their gas a lot more expensive).
The USA is now an oil exporter again, so why is this happening? The problem in the USA is that where the oil is being produced does not have the current pipeline capacity to get to refineries. The price per barrel in many areas is far below the world wide price because the only way to ship it is by truck or train which is very expensive.
With the USA hammering Iran their oil exports should fall. Venezuela has screwed up their economy and oil industry to the point where they have very little product hitting the market. Thus, world prices are going up.
You nailed the pipeline issue. If you're an oil importer, as the US has been, refineries tend to be in coastal areas, proximal to ports/oiltankers. The need for oil pipelines to refineries from inland was historically not there. That's changed and as you indicate, there are impacts.
The price of crude going up hopefully will also cause those huge vertically integrated oilcos to reduce their margins on their refinery operations.
I think the volatility and higher gas prices, along with growing concerns about environmental and health concerns is going to drive people to look at electric vehicles more. Over the next 5-10 years, I think we're going to see the tech break throughs that is going to accelerate this move; graphene and or magnesium batteries, which could offer improvements in charging times and amount of energy held. Being able to charge a car wireless while driving would also help. And as more car manufacturers do more work with electric cars, the costs will drop. Finally, if you can take a pickup truck and make it electric without losing any tow or performance and gas prices are over $3, I think you'll see a quick shift to electric vehicles.
I think 2 things will absolutely explode the electric vehicle industry, both truck-related.
1. like you said - towing capacity / hauling capacity. Put some torque on that electric motor
2. ability to plug in a 110v extension cord and not completely kill the battery if you're powering some tools for a bit, or even just keeping batteries charged for cordless ones. Give contractors the ability to run their tools off their truck motors, and you're going to see a LOT of electric Silverados and F150s rolling out of dealerships
Since I drive a Prius, gas prices are not a big concern.
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Quote from: BanzaiCat on May 15, 2018, 10:10:12 AM
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Dude - quit using self-portraits to make memes!
I thought that was his mother in law.
Oh, no no no no. I have much less acne!
Suuuuuuuure you do, pizza face.
Maybe I should stop using frozen pizza pepperoni to moisturize my face?
worth a shot
But it feels good, like sixteen trillion bacteria having leaky secks in a petri dish orgy!
And you can eat the pizza afterwards
I'm not going to make that joke. Even I have my limits.
Suuuuuure you do.
Quote from: BanzaiCat on May 15, 2018, 12:21:21 PM
I'm not going to make that joke. Even I have my limits.
I know you do Pissy Kitty,
they're just so far away from where most of us have theirs..... :2funny:
Edit: grammer
I bear that burden for my fellow Grogs.