a penny saved is a .............................

[aerohead]

Yesterday,an Associated Press radio news broadcast relayed data which demonstrated that a 1-cent change in the retail price of gasoline impacts the U.S.economy to the tune of $4,294,117 each day.
The $0.17 drop (a 5% change) in the price of gas in the last month is saving $73,000,000/day.
*$511,000,000/week
*$2.19-billion/month
*$26.645-billion/year
Increasing mpg is the same as lowering the price of fuel.If we had a bunch of basjoos-mobiles plying the interstates and highways you can imagine the economic implications to the economy.

[cfg83]

aerohead -

I always thought it would be neat if Honda did a commercial with it's 1st-gen Insight where they did a "what if everyone drove an Insight?". They could be showing happy Insight drivers in a "sea of Insight traffic" while they rattle off the savings in barrels of oil a day.

They could be self-deprecating in their end-of-commercial humor where they say "But I guess it would get a little boring after a while ..." and you would see drivers with puzzle-angst faces wondering what's missing from their lives. And finish with "... then again ..."



CarloSW2

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by aerohead

The $0.17 drop (a 5% change) in the price of gas in the last month is saving $73,000,000/day.

The current mindset of this country, or one of the current mindsets is that bigger is better, to economize is a weakness or wimpy, and consumption is a God given right, an entitlement if you will.

I live in a liberal town, can't blink without seeing a Prius. However I know this is not the norm.

Recently I was traveling on the highway in a construction zone and could not get over to the slow lane. Some A-hole in a full sized raised 4WD pickup truck was tailgating me, eager to speed while road workers were present. When I could, I got over to the right and he passed like a bat out of hell. Then he purposely gunned his engine and let go a huge cloud of black Diesel soot. However by that time we were in a curve and the wind was such that the soot went on to the cars behind him, and not on me. This was fortunate for me, as I was in my vintage 911 (26 mpg) with the targa top off.

I present this story as evidence of an attitude of hate for small cars, and the sense of entitlement some in larger vehicles have about consumption and pollution. And although not everyone in the country is an arrogant hick, there are just as many of them as economy minded sort of people.

If the 1/2 of the country which practices self destructive consumption were to get on board with the economy minded folk, we could save a whole lot of resources. However for that to happen, education and a political change cross all boundaries and traditions will have to occur. Our very culture will have to change.

[Soichiro]

^ I completely agree with you. The problem is that some people believe that their individual "rights" (and I use that word loosely, because I don't consider going 30 mph over the speed limit in a construction zone to be a right) are more important than society at large. They also equate having a large truck with having power. Coincidentally, these are the type of people who tend to vote conservative. But this is also why if you go to a more conservative area of the country such as mine, you're much more likely to see full-size pickups and SUVs, and you're also much more likely to get tailgated by these people. These people will probably never give up their pickups, because they think without a 5.8 L engine in front of them, they don't have any power.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by Soichiro

(and I use that word loosely, because I don't consider going 30 mph over the speed limit in a construction zone to be a right)

Don't you oppress me.

[tehgyb]

Wow, I knew there was a ton of money involved, but seeing some actual figures... That's amazing. Thanks for the info!

[SvdM]

Since America is such a large consumer of Oil, wouldn't less use of this stuff also deflate the value too? Then again, with China and India on the rise...

[War_Wagon]

North America as a whole is a large consumer of oil, but yes you are right, once we see more development of the "middle class" in China and India, as in to the level where they are buying cars, we are all going to be in for a shock on the price of gas. That's why I am hording 1st gen Insights! We all better learn to make biodiesel or a lot of people are going to be walking to work.

[SvdM]

Your're lukcy... we never got that car in South Africa... I don't even know if the Lean-Burn Honda engines made it this side at all because of our fuel quality. Our second-hand car market is also exceptionally strong, since few people can afford brand new cars. I would hazard a guess that many second hand cars here with 60 000km on the clock can be had brand new in the US for the same price. Last time I checked the Toyota Prius cost almost twice as much here as it does in the US. Let's hope however than the increased push towards more fuel efficient vehicles by almost all manufacturers helps to keep things calm-ish at least.

[Sven7]

I like people who complain about the price of gas and act like they can't change their fuel economy, as if the EPA's estimates are pie in the sky dreams. When car enthusiasts dismiss the "modding for efficiency instead of speed" argument I ask them if they'd like to pay half price for gas.