I fill my minivan (V6 with a 75L tank) and my Volvo (I5 with a 70L tank) every week. Costs me on average 150$ a week. But then again, other than whining about it, WTF can we do about it?

- ALL transportation is petroleum-powered. NO alternatives.

- electric cars are not legal yet on our roads

- government doesn't give a mess... they are raking in the bucks with gas taxes


The sad fact is that this is only the beginning. Oil production peaked in 2004, so it is now on a downslope. Demand is still going way up. Keep in mind that if it wasn't for our strong dollar, we would be paying 2.25$ a liter. Last time gas prices hit the all time high of 1.47$ the barrel was at 80$. It is now hovering at around 130$. What sucks is that humankind always ends up coming up with solutions when it is knee-deep in mess. The oil-producing nations know that their oil will run out, so like any company that knows that their cash-cow is drying up, they will up the prices big-time in order to milk it for all it is worth. In the meantime, automakers are sitting on their asses. They will release electric cars ONLY when required. Case in point, GM. Their image was SO tarnished lately by being identified as one of the major players that eliminated electric cars... enter the Volt project. Nice PR job...

My opinion is that if you drive a large vehicle to go to work, I suggest that you buy a small econo-box and keep the large vehicle for weekend projects. Save yourself a few bucks, because it's going to get worse. I predict we will pay in excess of 2.25$/L by June 2009.

Next car disel all the way!

Sorry to burst your bubble on Diesel. Here is the problem.

The issue is that to create Diesel fuel requires specialized "cracking" plants which are very expensive to build and there is already a shortage in the world (hence the increase in Diesel Fuel prices in recent years). It is not economically feasible to convert existing plants to Diesel cracking plants. Hence the dilema. As more people assume Diesel is the way to go ... the greater shortage ... prices increase. This is actually a worse case scenario as most of our shipping uses diesel which will increase prices more.

Also Diesel is a very dirty fuel source (newer engines are cleaner but still).

So please don't everybody rush out and go Diesel! Hopefully the next decade will bring cleaner/cheaper vehicles (Hydrogen-cell, electric, hybrid).

With the rise of the Chineese and Indian economies (potential for another 1 billion drivers) the general rule is that for every new driver they put on the road Western economies have to take one off the road to keep fuel prices at the status-quo. That is not going to happen in the short term. We live in interesting times.

I am going to buy windmills so I can power my pins once the rotating blackouts start.  

Quoted from Vengeance

Next car disel all the way!

Have you seen the price of Diesel latelty ?

No savings there my friend...


Steph

Quoted from Steph

Have you seen the price of Diesel latelty ?
No savings there my friend...

Steph

Isnt the saving from the fact that you can run twice the kms with a comparable amount of diesel ?

Quoted from Steph

Have you seen the price of Diesel latelty ?

No savings there my friend...


Steph

There is when you can drive 2x the distance for the same cost as gas.

Yeah but there is Bio diesel I have a few friends that do that.
Kind of funny to see them tho they have about 3 or 4 restaurents or chip trucks they go see and get there oil.
But hey whatever works.
One of those friends he actually lives in the country and is starting to make his own ethanol.
Trying to convince him that could be dangerous because if he mess it up could blow up.

Yea, it's about 10 cents more then gas, but you go a hell of allot further on Disel then you do on Gas.  So while the price per fill may be the same if not more expensive, while I fill my tank every week on gas, I'd mabye be filling disel tank once every 3 to 4 weeks on disel.  Sounds good to me.  

Do you need oil with diesel engines? My buddy has a diesel engine in his sail boat and he said it doesn't require oil as diesel acts as a lubricant. If that is correct, then there is another savings.

Like others have said, you go much further with diesel than gas. Also, diesel is safer than gas. It doesn't burn without pressure, so no worries of a diesel tank exploding in an accident.

Duane

The other thing to take into consideration with deisel is the maintenance costs.  Usually the maintenance on such an engine requires more attention than petrol, so what you save on petrol you could be spending on added maintenance....

D

yea but disel engines are built like tanks, my Aunt has a old disel car built back like 12 years ago and it still runs, taught me to drive stick on it

Diesel engines do cost a little bit more up front when buying the car I believe (also to be considered).  And yes, my mechanic tells me that the Diesel volkswagon Golfs for example, have so many issues.  
You want a great engine, buy a GM (or GMC) built car.  They last 300k KM without ever repairing them.  

To each his own theory of what is better in terms of choices out there.  For now, regular gasoline car (hopefully just a 4 cylinder) is the best choice....