There might be hope speed limit

[Christ]

Originally Posted by almightybmw

I honestly don't care what the speed limit is. In AK, its 65 on the highways. I did 70mph. In MT it's 75mph. I usually do 70-75mph (unless I'm sick of driving back to this middle of nowhere hole, then it's 85mph). If they decide to make the limit 55mph, I'll move. Or I'll never visit anyone outside my state. I can't dedicate 2 days just to drive to the coast. That's wasted time. I have no interest in the points between me and family in Seattle or Portland when that is my goal. This isn't an expedition. The road isn't dirt and the sights along the route are not amazing. When I can afford to fly there instead, I will. But for now I refuse to make a 12 hour drive longer.

So I guess I do care what the limit is. It'll determine whether I travel or not. If lowered, I'll stop traveling long distances by car and ditch my car for an EV instead. Now that gets the gears turning!

Speed regulation just became a conspiracy to get us all to give up and buy EV's in someone's mind. Thank you for that.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

Sure it would. Cut 1-2mbpd of consumption off and oil's price will drop a lot, at least until OPEC scales back production again and brings price back to ~$80/bbl. Anyway, at current rates, a ~1-2mbpd cut would take chindia ~5-10+ years to offset.

LOL a million barrels from dropping the speed limit to 55? Dream on.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by tjts1

LOL a million barrels from dropping the speed limit to 55? Dream on.

I wondered when you would join in on this. You total changed my mind on the speed limit debate the last go around. I posted the link at the beginning of the thread. It was some really good stuff.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Christ

Speed regulation just became a conspiracy to get us all to give up and buy EV's in someone's mind. Thank you for that.

But if so, it's a singularly inept conspiracy, because the same speed limits apply to EVs :-) Though that might be a nice marketing campaign for Tesla &c: get states to repeal speed limits (or set higher ones) on EVs.

Anyway, if saving gas is the goal, consider that a 55 mph speed limit (if enforced) reduces fuel consumption by IIRC about 5%. Building cars that get 70 mpg at 70 mph (which is perfectly doable) would reduce it by more than 60%.

[Christ]

Yep, and 5% of 70 is another 3.5MPG, so you'd get 73-75 at 55. Which is perfectly doable.



I had to.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

I wondered when you would join in on this. You total changed my mind on the speed limit debate the last go around. I posted the link at the beginning of the thread. It was some really good stuff.

Yes, the Utah experiment was pretty revealing. I doubt many people on this forum would have predicted that result.