Gas war - Bring down prices

[BenderGonzales]

My only concern with pure electric is that about 12 miles (each way) of my commute is on interstate highway.

I'd hate to be out there and run out of juice.

Neat looking machine though. Much like the hybrids, I could buy a lot of gas for the premium you pay. Which is why i've been looking on Ebay for something less than $1000.

 

[jetflyer]

With the Vectrix having a 68 mile range you should be able to go the 24 mile round-trip without worries at 62 mph. You'd just have to make sure you recharged every day to give you confidence to not run out of juice.

The full charge only costs 50 cents at current electric rates they say. You'd be using less than half a charge per day, so let's say conservatively 25 cents in transportation costs for your 24 mile round-trip!

I understand what you mean though about buying cheap and just spending more on fuel. That is why I'm going to drive my paid-off gas guzzling vehicle till it costs me more in gas than a new electic hybrid's monthly payments will be. Or I may get the Vectrix even sooner if I see it as cheaper.

Plus you are the perfect candidate for their HYBRID coming out in a couple years.

From: http://www.vectrixusa.com/technology/thenextphase.html

The fuel cell hybrid maxi-scooter, co-developed by Vectrix and Parker Hannifin,
integrates an onboard fuel cell with our electric maxi-scooter. Range is 250 km (155 miles) and the batteries do not need to be charged at a fixed electrical outlet.

The fuel cell technology adds convenience without sacrificing performance. The fuel cell hybrid maxi-scooter boasts a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and rapid acceleration from 0–80 km/h.

What I see as a big problem for this is that the fuel is:

Refueling options include reformed methanol, which will be readibly available and will facilitate fast refueling.

Readily available? Where do you buy methanol!?

Jet

 

[BenderGonzales]

Methanol. Isn't that a racing aditive for RC cars? I know i've seen it at hobby shops. I also believe that's one of the components used to make biol-deisel. Isn't it?

 

[dardar]

The problem with Gas prices is just the basic law of supply and demand. In many cases, if demand is high enough, then another competitor comes in and increases the supply, thus driving the prices down. With oil, we only have a fixed amount of it, so it's not possible for someone to see the market and just "jump in" with new oil. Sure, we can start drilling deeper, but when that starts happening, then prices will increase anyways because of the high expense required to drill deeper.

You know the solution. It's the same thing as a fat person complaing about their weight. Lay off the Haagen Daz (oil) and get some exercise.

 

[jetflyer]

http://www.vectrixusa.com/news/evworldarticle2.html

New York Times article on the Vectrix Scooter:
http://www.vectrixusa.com/news/051026nyt.html

I found on their site that that Vectrix scooter will sell for about $6,000 to $8,000. Not bad. Especially if you're spending less than a PENNY per mile!

Granted if you buy a $1,000 scooter you can buy a lot of gas with the several grand you save.

I bet this Vectrix scooter is going to get really popular really quick. I hope with products like these and with people moving closer to where they work, that the transition away from oil will go smoothly as the price goes UP,UP, and Away after peak oil.

Please oh please....
Jet

 

[jetflyer]

Bener,

I searched the web and found that most the GAS scooters only get at most 60mpg. So you'd be spending currently about 5 cents per mile there.

Your daily commute with a gas scooter= $1.20 at 3.00/gallon gasoline
BUT your daily commute with the ELECTRIC Vectrix would be only 25 cents

I think you've read some of my thoughts on future oil prices caused by a future decline in the amount of available oil. I think gas will be $5.00 per gallon in the next 2 years and $10.00 per gallon in the next 5 years, so that is why I personally am considering electric.

At $10.00 per gallon your daily commute would cost 16.66 cents per mile or your daily commute would be $4.00 even with the gas scooter!

Good luck,
Jet

 

[414Flyer]

Its a bit misleading when it says no emissions, because there are emissions, however the source is changed from the tailpipe, to the power plant, if it is a coal power plant.

However, electric vehicles with electric powered light/long distance rail powered by nuclear, would put a big dent in oil consumption, along with cleaner air.

 

[jetflyer]

414,
Great points.

Bush has been pushing the development of electric-Hybrid PLUG-IN vehicles. These will be huge in the future but yes their emissions will now be mostly from the coal plants in the U.S.

The PLUG-IN hybrids are supposed to go about 50 miles on a charge before having to ever use the gas engine. Let's hope GM wakes up and starts making these. They are clueless!

These will be our future....
Jet

 

[C601]

A must read......

http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/04/state_of_the_planet.php

http://www.oilposter.org/

According to this Fuel production peak will be 2007-08

Expanded detailed view...scroll down.

http://www.oilposter.org/posterlarge-x.html

 

[BenderGonzales]

Jetflyer,

Realistically if peak oil happens (and i'm not saying I believe it's there yet, I strongly believe that the technology required to use oil-sands, and coal-to-oil will come down in price before long) -- but if and when it happens, this conversation will be irrelevent.

We'll all be out of work - airplanes are gas guzzlers and scraping together every penny. As you mentioned plastics are petrochemical products and the things we buy every day, even shopping at Target and Wal-Mart are going to get a WHOLE lot more expensive.

Is it too late to go to law school?

 

[FN FAL]

How about we take some of this 200 billion dollars we've spent at war for the last couple of years and spend it on a "Manhattan Project" of sorts to figure out a way to make ourselves energy independant.

Screw that noise...we need a viable concept for a death ray and we need it yesterday. Break out the slide rules boys and the world will be our oyster.

 

[Swass]

If I saw either one of you riding a moped I'd laugh my ass off. Are you serious? If you're that hard up to save a few bucks on gas (how much could it be, really?) then I would suggest a golf cart.

You aren't serious are you? :erm:

 

[BenderGonzales]

Yep, sure am. Hey man, i'm too old to give a crap how I look. I'm losing my hair, putting on a few extra pounds. (shrug) Vanity is dead. But if I can save an extra 30 or 40 bucks a month -- hey, it adds up.

I'm saving pennies for when I lose my job due to peak oil.

 

[Swass]

30 to 40 bucks a month? Do you go out to dinner? Man, you're wife has to be pissed when she has to order a salad instead of the special of the day. Super sized is obviously out of the question.

 

[Swass]

Another question: What are you going to do with the 40 extra bucks in your pocket? Retirement? Come on now.....