Why I love the price of gasoline

[Astronuc]

However, that misses the point. With a hybrid, the load on the turbine can be made constant, which in principle makes it appropriate for the application of basic transportation. The electrical system buffers the load.

I was thinking more in terms of reliablity from the materials side, as well as efficiency. And I believe they are smaller and lighter.

I know ORNL was doing R&D on materials and components, and that was years ago.

 

[Astronuc]

'Extreme Hybrid' Car gets 250 mpg

AFS Trinity Power Corporation has filed its patent application disclosing the company's new technology for an Extreme Hybrid car capable of carrying the average American motorist more than 250 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or ethanol. The Extreme Hybrid will plug into a house's electrical current overnight to run without gasoline or ethanol for the 40 miles that the average American drives each day. For longer trips, the vehicle will operate as a conventional hybrid that efficiently burns gasoline or ethanol. The AFS Trinity patent filing discloses that Fast Energy Storage technology, including ultracapacitors, controllers and power electronics, will enable the Extreme Hybrid(TM) to overcome the limitations of the energy storage components of conventional hybrids and other plug-in designs.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060504/DETH037 )

http://www.asminternational.org/Content/NavigationMenu/News/HeadlineNews/HeadlineNewsArticle.htm?SMContentIndex=13&SMContentSet=0 [Broken] 'Extreme Hybrid' Plug-In Car-Gasoline and electricity cost expected to be $8 per week versus $36 for gasoline for the average American driver today

 

[Rach3]

I think gpm makes more sense than mpg. Then, you realize that 100mpg and 250mpg are the same thing, but there's a world of a difference between, 17mpg and 20mpg.

 

[Astronuc]

Well if we start comparing electric vs gasoline, then we need to be comparing in terms of distance/energy, e.g. km/kJ or miles/kJ.

I wish the US would change to metric already. :grumpy:

Well, at least we don't use leagues/horsepower-fortnight.

 

[Astronuc]

250 Mpg Hybrid Car - the link went bad in the other post, so here is an alternative

AFS Trinity Today Files Patent Disclosing Technology For 250 Mpg 'Extreme Hybrid' Plug-In Car

SEATTLE, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- AFS Trinity Power Corporation today filed its patent application disclosing the company's new technology for an Extreme Hybrid(TM) car capable of carrying the average American motorist more than 250 miles on a single gallon of gasoline or ethanol.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060504/deth037.html?.v=14

 

[Astronuc]

Are there any other large consumers of VO, besides restaurants and processiong plants?

I just read a comment in a book, "Materials and Process in Manufacturing", which mentions that vegetable oil may emerge as an industrial quenchant, rather than mineral oil.

 

[russ_watters]

The irony with hybrids right now is that the price is inflated by demand resulting from the small scale production levels. With sufficient production, the price would drop dramatically.

Something I didn't know until talking with a hybrid owner recently, in addition to (because of) what you said, many/most hybrids are packaged with high-end options, standard. Ie, you can't buy a Civic hybrid without the automatic climate control, which is optional on the standard Civic. That's another way the economics are driving the cost up.

Competition and expanding product lines will certanly help.

 

[Skyhunter]

I had to laugh at the logic used by a reporter last night. He was trying to make the point that local stations have no incentive to engage in price gouging. The logic was that the station owners primarily make money from the mini-marts found inside most stations. If they raise their gas prices, the reporter reasoned, people wouldn't have as much money to spend inside. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Having been involved in the discovery process with a friend who was looking to buy a business, I can attest that this is so. At most service station mini marts the Owner of the business gets a fixed price per gallon as part of the contract to purchase the business. Higher prices would definitely hurt especialy the ones that rely on the working poor, as well as the working lower middle class.

Unless they have renegotiated the stations will not see an increase in profits.

 

[Skyhunter]

Fuel efficiency is only a temporary solution to the problem, but it would help a lot and it isn't that much of a stretch to raise average fuel efficiency by 30% or so. That would be a heckuva good start.

Doesn't look like Bush is interested in efficiency.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0531/p02s01-uspo.html

If Congress accepts the Energy Department's proposed 2007 budget, it will cut $152 million - some 16 percent - from this year's budget for energy-efficiency programs. Adjusting for inflation, it would mean the US government would spend 30 percent less on energy efficiency next year than it did in 2002, the ACEEE says.

In any case, being a capitalist, I agree with Ivan's central premise: capitalist market forces are what is required to push the needed changes.

Being a realist I must agree, however it is sad that greed is the primary motivator of our society.

There is very little "free market" in the oil energy industry. The energy policy of the oil companies and this administration are simple:

1. Maximize profits on the last of the cheap oil.
2. Suppress efficiency to keep up demand.
3. Starve alternative research. (research not in line with hydrogen.)
4. Build the hydrogen infrastructure so that they control the chosen energy vehicle.

The free market is the only force powerful enough to shift the future of energy from that being predetermined in secret energy meetings with the the Vice President.

I believe that this is one big "jack move", and it frightens me to think of what they may do next, in order to hold onto power.