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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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Regular is, ahem, $1.08 a gallon cheaper.
My bud in Sweetwater TX says diesel is $3.22 there and reports that Bakersfield CA has it for $2.97.
Almost 20k miles in 15 months on our Touareg TDI, and easily the nicest vehicle I have ever owned. When the hybrids or EVs have a full sized AWD SUV with a 750 mile EPA highway rating let me know.
Remember this current RUG/PUG glut is causing tectonic massive earthquake pricing movements with only 1% extra supply !!!! Can you imagine what it would be if the domestic RUG/PUG usage was only 30 to 50% INSTEAD of 95% ?????????? It is almost breath taking the pricing POWER !!! We can literally CRUSH the Russian military and economy without firing a shot !! (Russia being the "LARGEST" producer in the world) It is amazing that most folks can't see this at all. Saudi Arabia would be almost not a footnote. Saudi Arabia's cost per barrel is $2.00 per BARREL !!!!!!! Yet it needs $100 + to keep its (internal) socialist welfare system alive.
IF a lot of folks citing the fact that USLD is + 1 penny more a gal to whatever is often done, is ANY indicator, (just done by one of the hosts) that helps to keep folks from demanding and buying diesel cars, even when far more per mile driven is actually paid by RUG/PUG users.
Judging by how many people do not even use a cheap calculator to verify my MB GLK 350 vs MB 250 BT per mile driven fuel figures (aka WAY CHEAPER DIESEL) you would think THEY think I was lying ??? You would think they would love to prove me WRONG. I think it also drives folks wild because the VW Touareg has a gasser/hybrid (like model) and it costs app 15k MORE than the TDI.
Most folks don't know nor even care that it has been against the law/policy to EXPORT domestic oil and refined domestic RUG/PUG since the 1970s or 4 decades going on 5 decades, aka more than a GNERATION literal and biblical.
Anyway... anyone for a diesel????
Volkswagen brand suffers biggest drop in car sales this year
Reuters
23 hours ago
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/volkswagen-says-november-brand-sales-152344687.html
Re VW - the mystery continues. Their profits probably jumped again with the fall in their car sales.
From VW you would think they are doing great. And they may be, the bottom line is the bottom line. Making $1000 on one sale vs $500 each on two sales, I would take the one sale. You have half the hassles with one customer. So many advantages. WW they may still beat Toyota this year?
http://media.vw.com/release/894/
Just got back from the (my) local tire shop after doing a 5,000 miles rotation (15,000 miles on the tire set, oem recommends 10,000 miles between rotations) VWT TDI (W 50,000 miles on oem alignment and specifications) the wheel lugs nuts were given specific # ft of torque, PSI adjustments (3 psi over oem recommendations of 33/38, or 36/41 psi.
They ( shop owner, technician ) were blown away. There were little to NO noticeable wear. (to them, I was a tad clueless) So at first they looked surprised and asked why I wanted a rotation, before checking the EXACT mileage on their computer. Wear across the tread was total even. While @ the shop, I checked the CR tire recommendation issue. For the SUV/CUV, both the Continental Cross Contact LX 20 (the ones on the vehicle) and the Michelin Latitudes were the recommendations.
When I got home (curiosity got the better) , I put the tire gauge to the set. It seems like in 15,000 miles, there were app 11.75/12 32nd in remaining 4 tires, aka app projected 60,000 miles per 1/32nds in !!! ??? How that plays out LONGER term really remains to be seen. I am, however a 5,000 miles rotation convert.
I guess I just assumed we were selling ULSD. Probably not the case. Some crude has a lot more sulfur content, which may be the case with the tar sands we are refining in TX. I know Iranian crude is real low grade with lots of sulfur. Major reason it was easy for US to sanction them. We had some really nice light sweet crude up in the Arctic. Conoco was running it straight out of the ground in their generators.
Whenever I try to rationalize the price of gas/diesel at the pump I keep going back to the words of GW Bush, when Exxon told him to go stuff it on some oil cleanup matters: "Nobody tells those guys what to do".
London could follow Paris diesel car ban (euronews.com)
"First, there have been problems with the particle traps - some drivers have removed them because they sometimes don't work properly unless the car is driven hot.
Second, the diesels are still producing nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which irritates the lungs of people with breathing problems. Diesels make several times more NO2 than petrol cars.
According to the European Environment Agency, air pollution is the top environmental risk factor for premature death in Europe; it increases the incidence of a wide range of diseases.
Particulate matter (PM) and ground-level ozone (O3) are the most harmful pollutants."
Why is diesel now bad news? (BBC)
In the "stuff that really works" news column, Trucking firms awarded $1 million to reduce diesel engine idling. (madison.com)
They did say it straight away this is an OPINION . . Oh and NO bike owners (most popular in Europe) take off their emissions !!!????? Oh please x 8 !!! Most bikes in the US don't have mufflers, let alone EMISSIONS equipment !!! ??? Emissions from RUG/PUG don't cause ANY to the majority of lung irritations? Oh please x 9.
The takes are totally misleading. This is especially true IF the assumption that RUG/PUG which in the US is 95% PLUS+, use causes NO premature death and does NOT cause the incidence of a wide range of diseases. Oh please x 11. They also cite no linked causality with ANY level of statistical significance ? Oh please x 12.
Slow news diesel day, albeit, probably more to most expensive in the nation.
ULSD $ 3.49
RUG $ 2.89
MG $ 2.99
PUG $ 3.09
Europeans are a fickle lot at best. Now that there is plenty of oil for making gas let's give diesel the boot. More used, more taxes collected. It is here and everywhere, all about MONEY. I think the Limeys and Frogs will have as much trouble getting people to give up their diesels as the libtards trying to get our guns. What does France have 70% diesel cars? Simple solution go to a poor country claim residence and register your diesel there. They have a pretty open society in the EU.
Diesel v petrol: cheaper to tax but dearer to maintain (Irish Times)
As to battery protection, the car manufacturers build that in - they don't allow the charge to go above or below a certain percentage. What the driver sees as "100%" is not the full capacity of the battery, and what the driver sees as "0%" is not a drained battery. The federal warranty on the hybrid components is either 8/100K or 10/150K, and they know the components have to last.
So the range (while an estimate) does not have to be adjusted to to match some calculated "battery saving" percentage.
For reference, I get about 23 miles from my 2014 C-Max Energi in winter - in summer I can get closer to 30. I think based on EPA it would be around 20. But I do drive it for mileage.
Besides, nobody ever said so-called "green energy" was supposed to be cheaper. It's supposed to be "renewable".
If cheap was the only goal, every municipality would go back to coal.
The problem is, no one in the past ever charged for the environmental damages associated with various sources of energy.
So now it's different, and they are charging for it. Think of it as a massive fine for littering.
Why are SUVs so popular? It has nothing to do with gas prices
by Ben Geier @ben_geier DECEMBER 10, 2014, 11:34 AM EST
http://fortune.com/2014/12/10/why-are-suvs-so-popular-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-gas-prices/?xid=yahoo_fortune
Funny how a $4,600 DIFFERENCE ( gassers, CUV vs Sedan) is seen as no big deal.
..."Plus, Gutierrez notes, the difference in cost is just not that great either. The CX-5 starts at $21,545; the 3 at $16,945."...
Yet, anything over PAR for gasser to diesel is seen as an obstacle to vilified.
Be that as it may, the 14 VW T (Sport) vs TDI is app $3,500. The gasser hybrid is app $15,000 more. The MB 350 vs 250 BT is app MINUS -500.(BT being cheaper) No hybrid like model.
Of course my usage was 646 kwh. *Gotta work on that.
El Pass Utility is 40% nuke so they've already started the PR push about how great a job they are doing. Yep, going for a 15% rate increase request next year. Probably to save some more money for decommissioning costs. (Another 40% is generated from natural gas, and 10% solar. Mixed bag on the other 10%).
(*met a solar guy today and he was driving @stevedebi's car, and bragging about being able to go 80 on all electric mode. Big issue with the C-Max E for me is that the battery hogs the trunk.)
That is about as low as it goes. Most are in the $90s. We are extremely frugal with shutting lights off. Our 3000sq ft has 56 recessed floods and 8 globes in each bathroom. I have replaced all the Bathroom CFL globes with LED. Costco had G25 on sale about $5 each. I replaced all 24 of them. I do love the instant on and brightness of the LEDs much better than CFL. Less dangerous as well. The floods we use a lot in the kitchen/dining area are also LED. The above bill had NO heat or AC running. Heat is real expensive as we use Propane at $3.29 per gallon equivelant.
http://www.amazon.com/Feit-LED-Dimmable-Decorative-Bulb/dp/B00EK6L446/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418243838&sr=8-1&keywords=g25+globe+bulb
Our cost is about $0.21 / Kwh right now, so we end up paying around $200 a month.
I live in a small place and inexpensive hydro power is common here, my average bill is around $30, I think - I seldom run heat, but I use AC a lot in the summer.
(@ 15,000 miles per year AVG 24 .1 mpg AVG,I will use 41 mpg for commute)= 622 gals RUG $1,798/ PUG $1,897)
with some of the cost SPENT on house or LIVING utilities.
Anecdotally @ 41 mpg, ULSD for 366 gal = $1,314/ 12mo = $ 110 mo/3 persons or $ 37 per person is spent. Since 1 car (15,000 miles) instead of three (45,000 mile) is used, real mpg (x 3 persons) is more like 123 mpg. So for this commute portion of diesel application, we are ok with one driver $ .0876 pmd:F with per individual, or $ .0292 cents per mile driven: FUEL.
Incidentally and anecdotally, MOST Prius' es are single occupancy.
I am not sure what that really means. Commute lane/s violations are even LESS enforced than the VIGOROUSLY ENFORCED NOT using turn signal indicators.
I like it.
All these city centers concerned about pollution, diesel or otherwise, could get rid of half the passenger car congestion overnight simply by banning single passenger occupancy. Easy peasey, lol.
On two tanks.
Towing half way.
(96 mpg considering there were four in the Ram).
To my way of thinking, one is FAR better off weening oneself AWAY from having to wanting to do stuff in a city.
They are not going to let one get too far off the AVG MPG without paying SEVERE PREMIUMS.
So for example, @ 40 mpg, Oregon and CA think YOU pay way too little taxation. (AVG is still @ 24.1) Both states are considering per mile driven taxation. The nexus of course is a NATIONAL implementation. I severely doubt they will cancel per gal taxations and sales tax, IF they implement the new taxation scheme. Since the drop in the price per barrel of oil, there have been calls for a RAISE to the (already high %) fuel tax.
While I have liked cars for a very long time, I am working to keep as few as possible. The few I do keep, work to justify them for use in the business sense.
What goes on opaquely, lacking are the equivalent energy uses and costs (overhead and FIXED) to effect a useful comparison between car/no car in a city.
99% of the time my wife and I go where ever together. I can see a huge market for blow up dolls if a city were to mandate double occupancy. On our rare trips through Los Angeles, we have the HOV lane mostly to ourselves. I think a lot of people avoid the HOVs as getting out is not so easy if you get stuck behind some jerk going 60 MPH in a Prius or Leaf. Most of the time it is 70-75 MPH smooth sailing.
Less heating oil use? (possible further fall of ULSD prices?)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/drop-in-heating-costs-could-help-fund-santa-s-visit-this-winter-204916203.html
OIL armageddon should have happened 100 years ago?
We've Been Incorrectly Predicting Peak Oil For Over a Century
Matt Novak
http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/weve-been-incorrectly-predicting-peak-oil-for-over-a-ce-1668986354
Slow news diesel days.
Local diesel price $3.39
RUG $ 3.09
MG $ 3.19
PUG $ 3.29
"At the Port of Oakland, we measured dramatic reductions of nitrogen oxides and black carbon PM, indicating a large degree of success which should translate into local improvements in air quality, especially as more trucks on the road use these technologies,"
Air pollution down thanks to California's regulation of diesel trucks (phys.org)
As the article indicated, diesel (big rig) trucks run for decades and I am sure the majority of those trucks have little to no emissions controls (relative to late model passenger vehicle fleet diesels, i.e..,). So really what has brought down the emissions the most that is a nexus to diesel big rigs and the diesel passenger vehicle fleet is ULSD or 15 ppm sulfur standard 5 to 10 ppm nominally delivered @ the pumps.
This of course does nothing for the 25,000 ppm bunker oil (unmitigated ) emissions emitted by the ocean going ships the diesel rigs service. The area is also ringed/triangulated by both the Oakland and San Francisco Airports. Benicia/Martinez is also home to OIL refineries !!!! It is also grossly misleading to then JUMP to the 100,000 US premature death rate !!!!
I think that a case can NOT be made for the LOCAL Bay Area premature death rates due to those diesel big rigs, bunker oil emissions as well as air transportation. This is to also leave out the fact that this is a MAJOR GASSER commute cross roads, aka known as the MAZE. Roads are intertwined like spaghetti.
So for example, one would expect Port of Oakland employees (immediate area) should be dropping like flies after an insecticide fogging. Funny not even a WORD devoted to that !!!! ??? Indeed the measuring teams take NO haz mat precautions, if the pictures are not faked !!!! ?????
Might be a good idea for a city car.
If these depressed oil prices continue, I expect that at SOME point we will see significantly lower diesel prices here. So, I'm waiting to completely fill my 1000-gal tank for the first time EVER. Perhaps it will dip under $3? If so, I'm in. I put 650 in it for this winter, so waiting also helps to drain off some more of that stock, which was, I think, somewhere around $3.76/gal in September.
Given the severe impact on the state budget, I should probably put any plans to swap out my Fiesta on hold for a while. I have to expect that this is going to hit me in the pocket book at some point in the near future. So, what would it take for me to buy a diesel now? Oil prices >$90/barrel! LOL
I used to try and explain to people in the lower 48 how cheap oil was not good for ALL Americans. I remember well the drastic wage cuts of the mid 1980s when the price of oil went in the toilet. Someone is still making lots of money on Gas/diesel. The end of 2008 when oil dropped to around $65 per barrel, RUG was down to $1.57 in San Diego. Today lowest price is Costco at $2.59 and they have diesel at $2.89. Still a buck a gallon over what it should be based on oil prices.
Basically the current market dynamics have proven what I have been saying all along about MASSIVE abundance in energy to be true. More importantly, the dynamics were hard to hide any longer. It is akin to sweeping 1,000 #'s of dirt under a 10# RUG. (no pun intended)
All this due to only app 1% OVERSUPPLY. Can you IMAGINE the even much lower pricing when RUG/PUG becomes even less a % than it is now (@ 95% (9% I have read is PUG) with 5% diesel) ?? Right now EV/batteries lithium/hydrogen, etc. are proverbially not measurable. % wise.
I say legislatively and regulatorilly EPA should do the forward thing and craft regulations for approval of 100% bio diesel engines.
Why lose the taxpayer sponsored $$'s B 's paid for the high mpg (happened to be ALL DIESELS) engine shoot out under the Clinton Administration???? Three oems came up (independently of one another) with 3 prototype DIESEL engines getting HIGH MPG !!! ???? (Thank the Europeans this was not exactly rocket science) keep in mind the biggie three could have consulted OUR rocket scientists !!! ???
33% PVF diesels will free up the fuel market place. 100% biodiesel engined can bring new fuell sources (like algae) and old waste product waste streams (like sewer plants and garbage dumps) for biodiesel production !! Let different energy sources be part of the fleet "PIE". !!!! The competition is good for the market/s !!!
It is true there are whole segments that are feasting on the $1.00 PLUS OVERPRICE per gal, based on lower oil prices.
More towards reality, the local Chevron (selling ULSD) has a tie into the local grocery (chain), so I got an extra .20 cent a gal discount !!!
In driving around the local area, I got a look at some of the infrastructures damages due to the recent rains. LOADS of signals out. This necessitated a lot of 4 way stops.
I hope you and your family are OK and haven't been affected by the mudslides and other weather related problems. Be safe.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Yes, all is well !! I appreciate that very much ! At this writing, I have not heard from ANY of the folks we all know, that have suffered, .... more ill effects. Hopefully it remains NOBODY !!
Neighbors in the snow report no ill effects and some are happy, happy, happy, about the first major dustings of snow. .5 ft (at 6,225 ft) and up to 3 ft @ the tops of Heavenly Valley Ski Mountain (app 10,067 ft) . Weather is in and out of freezing for much snow to stick.
No chaiin controls CURRENTLY in effect !! YIPPEE !!
Here (hopefully ) is ONE CA Trans live camera view from 7,427 ft.
US-50 - South Lake Tahoe : Echo Summit
Weather Forecast as of 08:52:00 PST on 2014-12-13 :
High: 35°F
Low: 24°F
Sunrise: 07:11 PST
Sunset: 16:39 PST
4th red cam icon, just SOUTH of Lake Tahoe
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist3/departments/traffic/cameras/
Sacramento, CA on GasBuddy.com shows cheapest top 6 USLD $ 2.88 to $3.15 per gal.
USLD @ 3.29
RUG $ 2.99,
MGUG $ 3.09,
PUG $ 3.19
So while I hope it lasts for @ least a year, AND even hits my delusional $1.85 per gal, my gut tells me no joy x 2 !! LOT less time, SO enjoy it while one can !!
Again for 15,000 miles a price of $3.29 (down from $3.99) will save .70 cents per gal.( @ 15,000 miles/41 mpg = 366 gal * .70 cents=) MINUS- $ 256. per year (17.5%)
It makes me wonder why BO POTUS waited so long to put the "sanctions" aka choke holds on Russia and the usual folks who hate us !! ??
He should also be celebrating the USA "FRACKERS," rather than vilifying them !!! THEY make it possible, rather than sending in (OUR) TROOPS !!!! As if nobody has noticed nobody else will send in theirs !!!!!
Dem's want to KILL biofuels, one being diesel fuels ???
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/here-are-the-tax-breaks-in-danger-if-congress-doesnt-act-2014-12-08?siteid=yhoof2
BC Ferries will eliminate fuel surcharge this week as price of diesel drops (vancouversun.com)