Gas prices are rising due to the United States wanting us, their citizens, to run out and buy gas saving cars and electric cars, this will help save the auto manufactures and force us spend money which in turns helps the government due to taxes. The government knows this will work because it worked back the late 70's when gas prices went up due to fuel shortage from OPEC, and a large percentage of American citizens dumped their old large cars for pennies on the dollar and bought small gas saving cars. This gas price hike won't stop till it gets to $5 a gallon and people will run out and get fuel saving cars just as they did in the 70's. If a small gas saving car cost $25,000 thats $1,750 to the states (average 7% sales tax) per car, not including registration fees that are higher due to buying a new car which includes excise tax. And that's just taxes we pay, that doesn't include all the tariffs charged on parts coming into the country to go into the assembly of a car, or the tariffs charged on a car coming into this country, or the transportation taxes charged on transporting all those parts and or car.

$5 to $6 per gallon is the break even point for cost effectiveness of buying an electric car vs an average gas consuming car. See where this is going?