Foo - Confused. Could fuel efficiency make oil more expensive?

I'm confused here. My understanding is that the USA has cheaper oil than most other countries because we are essentially the Walmart of oil; we buy it in such mass quantities that we can get it at lower individual costs.
If we all drove super fuel efficient vehicles and were extremely energy efficient, we would not be importing such large quantities. Therefor, we would not get the large quantity discount that we currently do. So, would fuel costs actually rise?

Say **** it and drive a prius on moonshine. And even better still get one of the ones with a big battery that can go 80 miles before using the engine.:)

Oh no. Mich is getting started on the fuel debate again....:rolleyes:

I think (i.e. I'm under the impression, but have no facts to back it up) that cheap gas in the U.S. is a result of low taxes, rather than massive consumption.

Oh that's true, it could be a tax thing.

As far as at-the-pumps prices go, anything could cause 'em to go up. They're based on a careful formula of whims, pulling numbers out of oil company exec asses, and for-the-hell-of-its.

When flying pigs reign over the frozen tundra of hell, and the people of the United States suddenly care en masse about efficiency, the oil companies will probably raise the prices some more to make up for their "lost" revenue.

Just found this... seems to explain it:

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/

They recently said that interest rates going down will be causing gas prices to go up. Meaning that because people have a little more money in their pockets, big oil is going to take it if they can. What a bunch of greedy mother****ers.

gob'ments make oil more expensive.

gob'ments make oil more expensive.

Michigan even expects people to pay road taxes on home made E85.

I think you'll find places with high pump prices have higher taxes. However this does beg the question, how many gal's does a station have to pump to stay open? The price may rise at the pumps to support there being a pump.

Oil is used for alot of other things like mecidal products, I'm just not sure if they're made here or in China.

I think you'll find places with high pump prices have higher taxes. However this does beg the question, how many gal's does a station have to pump to stay open? The price may rise at the pumps to support there being a pump.

Oil is used for alot of other things like mecidal products, I'm just not sure if they're made here or in China.

95% of the plastics today are petrochemical based, most fertilizers, most adhesives, fuel, lubricants, the list goes on. Our culture is mostly driven by oil.

I think you'll find places with high pump prices have higher taxes. However this does beg the question, how many gal's does a station have to pump to stay open? The price may rise at the pumps to support there being a pump.

Oil is used for alot of other things like mecidal products, I'm just not sure if they're made here or in China.

Here in good old NZ, where petrol is about $1.55/litre for 91 Octane, the service station gets about 2c per litre, the oil companies about 25-30c per litre, transportation costs about 10c per litre and the government gets the rest.:mad:

So I guess, the station has to pump a lot of petrol to make any money, or sell lots of stuff in the shop.

DIESEL.

Biofuel FTW. Too bad they don't make a diesel engine for my car. Turbo Diesels in compact cars are AWESOME.

If we cut back enough on usage we wouldn't NEED foreign oil and the savings in wars would more than offset the increase in price. <runs and hides>

DIESEL.

Biofuel FTW. Too bad they don't make a diesel engine for my car. Turbo Diesels in compact cars are AWESOME.

That's nothing custom motor mounts and a different transmission can't fix.

That's nothing custom motor mounts and a different transmission can't fix.

It's a bit of work, and it would be awesome to have like the only turbo diesel 1992 Civic in California, or even the US. More power, more efficiency, but it's a lot of money and effort up front I'm not able to put forth. :p