Record Vancouver Fuel Prices (reporter seeking BC ecomodders to interview)

[roosterk0031]

WA has the 3rd highest gas tax in the country at 49.4 state only, beat by California at 55.5 and PA at 58.7. The medium tax rate is 30, lowest 14.7. Fed tax is 18.4/gallon.

A search say Canadians pay an average of $0.45/liter, that would be $1.70/gallon. Found Vancouver, $0.51/liter

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by roosterk0031

WA has the 3rd highest gas tax in the country at 49.4 state only, beat by California at 55.5 and PA at 58.7. The medium tax rate is 30, lowest 14.7. Fed tax is 18.4/gallon.

A search say Canadians pay an average of $0.45/liter, that would be $1.70/gallon. Found Vancouver, $0.51/liter

Spokane Wa is about $.30/gal more than Post Falls ID 10 miles away. We are l about $.10/gal less here in Montana. Tomorrow I leave Missoula bound for Seattle. I will fill up (38 gallons!) here, stop and fill up again in Post Falls. At some point in my Seattle visit I will need some more gas but I probably won't fill it. Then going to the Oregon coast but you have to avoid getting it in the big cities because they still are higher because I am apparently incapable of pumping my own gas if surrounded by high population density. OH well, can't worry about it, it's a vacation and gas will be the least of my costs even with a 2500 Suburban. At least it makes it so we only need one car. 18 mpg is like 36 in that case.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by Vman455

If you look at the Gasbuddy heat map, most of the country is below $3/gallon--so you're skewing it higher.....the West Coast always has higher gas prices.

Yeah, like I said........ national gas prices are skewed lower from our Western high gas prices by low-ball eastern prices.

When the Alaskan pipeline was transporting at it maximum, Western U.S. prices (maybe not CA) were fairly average for the nation. But, you're right. Its more expensive to get to point C from point A, in the west, cause we got Big Sky, Big Mountains, & Big Texas. Of course, Alaska is all by itself. Ten western states are larger than Michigan. Even smallish Washington state is larger than the east's combined eight smallest states.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

......with a 2500 Suburban. At least it makes it so we only need one car. 18 mpg is like 36 in that case.

I see a lot of traveling Suburbans with one person. Our Hyundai Elantra, bad-mouthed for poor MPG by leadfooters, just got 45MPG, traveling from Eastern Washington to West Washington, over 3000+ foot Snoqualmie Pass.

[Fat Charlie]

As a retailer, I like to state a price that doesn't include any gotchas, even if I do get to point the finger at Uncle Sam. Fun political point, bad business.

And if if your roads aren't in good shape, your gas taxes are too low.

[Hersbird]

Well my plan was a bust. We were behind schedule and needed to be in Everett by 5:30 so it was minimal stops and 5 mph over the speed limit all the way which means 75-85mph. The only place I stopped for gas was Ellensburg and turn out prices there are a bit more than Everett ($3.50 vs $3.45). That speed also gave us a whopping 15.6 mpg although that's 2 mountain passes and the Gorge, fair headwind, and probably 2000 pounds of passengers and gear inside. Like I said, 15.6 in one car is like 2 cars each getting 31.2 and this rig only set me back $3800 and it was smooth and comfortable with these loads and speeds. Hopefully it will also tow our camper well which we haven't tried with it yet. Bottom line, safe and sound to Everett at 5:01 and as usual the 405 was ridiculous and I saved the $10 toll there. What happened to a break for carpools? We certainly had one going on but you need to pre register somewhere? That whole setup on 405 is ment to snarl traffic and bring in big money making 2 special lanes for the rich. Nice job progressive Seattle LOL!

[litesong]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

.....stopped for gas was Ellensburg and turn out prices there are a bit more than Everett ($3.50 vs $3.45)......as usual the 405 was ridiculous and I saved the $10 toll there. What happened to a break for carpools?

Too bad you were rushed. A diversion to Wapato, WA would have gotten you gas for $3.03 per gal. I-90 Coeur d Laine, Idaho Costco had gas for $2.94 (with 4% rebate at end of the year). Billings, Montana Costco was /$2.76. Point of the Rocks in southern Wyoming was said to have gas for $2.24.
Washington state fell in love with the re-pubic-lick-un idea of sabotaging the commuter lane into a richman's lane. If you're rich, you can drive past all the poor people in the regular lanes. Max rate is $10 under the worst conditions & I-405 is often at its worst. The money doesn't even stay in the state, The company over-seeing the richman's lane is out-of-state, back east somewhere.

[War_Wagon]

Yikes sorry I missed a lot. It's really expensive to live here, who knew? haha I have been working a lot. I had a badass old BMW 540 with a manual, and I sold it. I loved that car. $260 to go see my parents. My ratty Honda Fit cost $80 for the same trip. The Fit is getting sold too. Time to bring one of the Insights out of mothballs. I drive a lot, and I am lucky enough to live where nobody wants high FE stuff. But gas prices are unpleasant that's for sure.

[LeanBurn]

Here's a link to the article by Adrienne Tanner which ran 7 hrs ago:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/tops...1xQ?li=AAqARMz

snip"

This has everything to do with the free market,” says Marcus Sabathil, a Maple-Ridge furniture maker who runs a van for his business.

Sabathil is an “ecomodder” a back-yard engineer who counters high fuel prices by modifying his vehicles to improve fuel efficiency. About nine years ago, when prices soared over $1 per litre, which seemed astronomical at the time, Sabathil bought a used hybridcar for trips that didn’t require much carrying capacity. He then eco-modified his van to improve fuel efficiency. He designed aerodynamic coverings called fairings for the vehicle, changed out the factory hubcaps for ones that were flat and blocked the grill as much as he could, depending on the weather. “There’s a lot you can do. I actually cut my fuel consumption almost in half.”

Recently, rising gas prices prompted Sabathil to go a step further. His wife commutes 45 km a day in a Prius hybrid and noticed her gas bills climbing from about $55 to $75 a week. So Sabathil modified her car, too, improving the mileage by 36 per cent. He recognizes his ecomodder hobby is unlikely to catch on with most people and says vehicle manufacturers should be forced to set lower consumption targets, or nothing will change. But the answer is certainly not another pipeline, he adds. “Gas prices will continue to rise regardless; we need to conserve.”

"snip

[Hersbird]

Everything to with the free market... then goes on to say the free market shouldn't build pipelines or build the cars customers want. So really nothing to do with the free market.