Topic: WHEN ARE THE DIESELS COMING!!!???

[Calbrez]

It's looking pretty ominous for anyone who owns anything bigger than a 4cyl.

It looks like our cities will resemble London, Paris or Rome in about 5 years!!

Gas prices forecast to drive cars off highways
`Canada will feel the pain, but it's not going to be same as in the U.S.'
June 27, 2008
LAUREN KRUGEL
THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY–Gas prices are becoming so high that one of Canada's top banks is predicting a "mass exodus" of vehicles from U.S. highways within four years, with a slightly less dramatic drop expected in Canada.

CIBC World Markets said in a report yesterday that gas prices in the United States will hit $7 (U.S.) a gallon – the equivalent of $1.86 (Cdn) a litre – two summers from now. That marks a 70 per cent increase over today's record levels.

As a result, there will be about 10 million fewer vehicles on U.S. roads by 2012 and average kilometres driven will drop 15 per cent, the report said.

"Over the next four years we are likely to witness the greatest mass exodus of vehicles off America's highways in history," chief economist Jeff Rubin wrote.

The average pump price in Canada yesterday was $1.38 a litre, nearly 30 cents higher than what it was a year ago, according to the price-tracking website Gasbuddy.com. Americans were paying $4.07 a gallon, the equivalent of $1.08 a litre.

Canada will only experience about 70 per cent of the U.S. decrease in driving, CIBC senior economist Benjamin Tal said.

"Canada will feel the pain, but it's not going to be the same as in the U.S.," Tal said in an interview, noting that there will be about 700,000 fewer cars on Canadian roads by 2012 and a 10 per cent decrease in average kilometres driven.

In the U.S. case, low-income families will account for the biggest change, whereas in Canada the greatest shift will come from the middle-income bracket, Tal said.

"In Canada more low-income Canadians have access to public transportation, therefore the adjustment will not come from them," he said. ``The adjustment will come from middle class families that will start giving up the second or third cars," he said, adding that much of the higher tax Canadians pay tends to be invested in urban transit systems.

Another report yesterday from Scotia Economics said record-high gas prices are prompting Americans and Canadians, to a lesser extent, to abandon their gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks for small, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

[EV Dan]

"WHEN ARE THE DIESELS COMING!!!??? "

Coming or not, it will make little difference, if any to the cost of driving. The reason IMO why diesel fuel is now sold for more than regular is trucks and other heavy machinery still need to be filled up at the same rate no matter the price, whereas in the US demand for gas peaked in 2007 and now ppl consume less.
If small diesel cars come here it will put more stress on refineries thus raising the diesel price to a whole 'notha level and at the same time making more gas available to the market, which might make it cheaper or at least fix the price.

The only solution I see here is public switching to 4,3,2,...1 cylinder vehicles and discovering alternative means of transportation. At the moment China decides not to subsidies gas any more we might actually get a break.
P.S. Many auto makers are talking about 2010 as a year of making EVs of one flavour or another ready for mass production (so it took about a century to learn a lesson) 

[tpl]

There is an old saying or piece of folk wisdom left over from the early '70s gas crisis.

Its about Los Angeles and it applies just as well now to our Canadian suburbs and the transportation problems brought on by lack of gas/price of gas.

If you are going to see public transport within 5 years you'll be able to look out of your window and see lots of guys in hard hats.   If you might see public transportation within 10 years then look out of the windows and you'll see lots of lawyers talking to guys with clipboards.  Otherwise...no chance.


I am sure that we will adjust to the price of gas.   I would be far more worried about some ill thought out "carbon tax " or "green shift" making the price of everything go so high that it will bring on a depression.

I just looked out my window and I saw that one of my neighbours seems to have replaced his Hemi powered Durango with a Ridgeline.   This is progress indeed.

[EV Dan]

Carbon tax may not be a bad thing if applied to manufacturing. I bought chicken wings the other day and they came on a styrofoam tray, which probably weighed more than the product itself. Strangely enough the chicken was marketed as "all natural" and stuff, made by maple leaf (nothing to do with the team). Now if it cost much more to pay for all the environmental drawbacks created along making such packaging (oil, pollution, water consumption) it wouldnt be sold in the first place. But as of now in that particular store I can only get pre-packaged meat.

P.S. Last few days I've been at dealerships I only observed one couple getting an Accent and the other shopping for a Yaris. Myself 2 years ago I wouldnt even think of 4 cyl for the next car. Guess times change.. 

[loser40]

Diesel only works out cheaper than gas if you do more than 40,000 miles (60,000 Km) a year in the UK.

Diesel now costs £6+ a gallon here - that's $12+ bucks !!!

Petrol (gas) costs around £5-£5.25 a gallon - $10-$10.50 !!!

Added to the extra cost of diesel, you also have to factor in the added purchase cost that diesel cars command over the equivalent gas model.

I'm guessing the cost differences in Canada will also make gas cheaper for most motorists too.

Unless you do galactic mileage, you're better off with regular gas.

M.

[Cortina]

Added to the extra cost of diesel, you also have to factor in the added purchase cost that diesel cars command over the equivalent gas model.

I'm guessing the cost differences in Canada will also make gas cheaper for most motorists too.

Unless you do galactic mileage, you're better off with regular gas.

M.

Not really small cars perhaps, if they have a small 1-3 liter engine. But other than that no. A midsize car you really can't beat it, in a diesel. If you were to compare the same car, same model. like for like. When comes to a Gas and diesel. The Diesel will always out perform the gas engine. 

Were I think Diesels will help NA the most. Is in the mid to large size cars. Those cars really do benfit from a diesels. It is really nice to drive a big car that you can spread out in, that does 50 MPG. I still think the average Americans will never eccept a small cars because they are simply too big to fit into a small car.