Gas Prices Headed Down, How Low Will They Go?

[Draigflag]

I think around 60 - 70% is taxation. Price of fuel affects the price of everyhing here as most goods are delivered via road. One of the contributing factors as to why the US is a very cheap place to live too, cheap fuel, not to mention a lot of products are probably home grown/farmed.

[nielsm]

Originally Posted by Matt715

Our diesels typically don't get twice the fuel mileage as their gas counterparts. The other thing you have to figure in is the cost difference between buying a gas car vs diesel as a diesel engine option usually fetches a few thousand more than the same vehicle with a gas engine. Unless you buy used, drive many many miles, or really want a diesel, in many cases your better off buying a fuel efficient gas vehicle over here because it will take a long time to realize some savings.

Fortunately, with Fuelly, we can actually compare an equivalent gas vs diesel with real world numbers instead of the EPA or Euro ratings. I have a 2014 Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel. If we look at the regular V6 on Fuelly, the average is 19MPG. The average diesel GC is around 25MPG or 32% better than the gas engine. My diesel is averaging around 27MPG or about 42% better.

The most popular car on Fuelly, the 2014 VW Jetta, is averaging around 34MPG for the 2.0 Gas engine and 40MPG for the 2.0 diesel. In that case the diesel is around 18% better.

So, real world, we are a far cry from double, but diesels do provide a measurable improvement over their gas equivalent.

[Kuripot_Kevin]

Diesel is about 35% more that 87 octane where I fill up. The diesel cars themselves are about 3K-5K more expensive than their gas counterparts. The numbers don't add up in the USA thanks to all the clean air regulations. I know it's off my own topic but I couldn't help myself.

Kevin

[Draigflag]

Thats a huge difference in price. The demand here for diesel is larger, hence the slight price hike, but as most cars are gas in the US, you'd expect diesel to be cheaper. You will begin to see more diesels in the US, as the growing pressure from other Nations for the US to reduce its C02 emissions (gas cars emit 100 - 400% more than C02 than diesels) and also future CAFE standards require high average MPG's.

[Charon]

In actual fact, per volume unit of fuel, diesel emits more CO2 than gasoline because of the higher proportion of carbon in diesel fuel. Diesels also emit more NOx because of their excess oxygen in the cylinders during combustion. Diesel vehicles may emit less CO2, but if so it is only because they burn less fuel. There exist technologies to reduce NOx, at the cost of efficiency, but the only way to reduce CO2 is to reduce the amount of fuel burned. Of commonly available fuels the "cleanest" in terms of CO2 production is natural gas, but it presents other difficulties such as on-vehicle storage in useful amounts.

Most vehicle operators, particularly commercial operators for whom fuel is a much higher percentage of operating cost than private individuals, care a lot more about cost of operation than about "saving the planet." That is why it requires government intervention to set pollution standards. Government intervention can take many forms, ranging from fuel taxes to CAFE requirements to exhaust emission limits.

As a minor aside, China now has surpassed the USA in CO2 emissions. Other growing economies such as India are on the same route. None of them seem willing to reduce their carbon emissions, as all see that as stifling their growth.

[Draigflag]

Forgive me if im wrong, math is not my best subject, but my diesel emits 70000% (seventy thousand percent!) more C02 than it does N0X (i probably did the math wrong, please correct me if i'm wrong. Using my car as an example, C02 emissions = 90 grams per km, N0X = 0.13 grams per KM)

I know the latter is bad for health, but in direct comparison, it's still a tiny fraction. Depending on who you beleive, most sceintists now agree that C02 is harmful to the environment, even though its naturaly produced, so reducing it will help anyway. And I appreciate there are Nations with higher C02 outputs but remember the US only accounts for about 5% of the Worlds population.

[trollbait]

Carbon dioxide has a global impact, and can be real bad for the oceans, but it doesn't have the health impact of NOx. The only way to control CO2 emissions on a vehicle is improve fuel economy or use a carbon neutral fuel.

The Us doesn't have many diesel cars. Actually fewer than hybrids, but diesel is still used for shipping(it's a big place), agriculture, and heating in the North East. Then there is the fact that ULSD production allows the refineries to ship what used to be a surplus to Europe.

Because there are fewer diesel choices, the auto companies can charge more for them by putting in standard features that are optional on the base gasoline model. The flip side though is that the diesels hold their value better. So the TCO for them is the same or better than the gas one.

China and India may have surpassed the US in carbon emissions for the nation, but our per capita levels still dwarf theirs. Plus, part of their emissions is due to us off shoring our manufacturing to them.

[gundamit]

Stopped at a station near work after i heard they had the cheapest gas locally. A little off from my commute loop but at 2.799 a gallon I couldn't pass it up. I usually run the tank down a little lower but made an exception for the price. Less than 6 cents a mile! Fraktacular!

Unfortunately lower prices will probably lead to more consumption and prices bouncing back up. But in the meantime Dodge will probably sell more Hellcats.

[DPTyphoon]

Old thread.

I last drove my diesel truck on Nov 1st. At that time, fuel locally was $3.22 a gallon after being about 3.85 for the previous two years. I knew I wasn't going to drive it again until April, so I filled it up, thinking price would go back up by then.

Nope, saw $2.58 today for Diesel. I took on 45 gallons in November, but haven't used any of it, so my "going long" Diesel in November has so far cost me $30.60.

[Kuripot_Kevin]

I just paid 1.58/gal. Wow what a difference 2 years can make! A couple states have prices in the $1.30's now, will we see $1 gasoline before it all goes to h*ll?
Kevin