America’s Foolishness with Cars, Gas, & Diesel

October 1, 2008

Have you heard about the recent $25 BILLION President Bush has granted as a loan package to troubled US automakers? As a taxpayer this is simply outrageous to me. Let’s add some MORE debt to our already huge deficit!

Let’s see what caused this catastrophe, shall we?

Bush is allergic to renewable energy.

During his term, Bush has continually slashed subsidies and funding for solar and wind power while supporting dirty energy such as coal, oil, and nuclear power and giving major tax breaks to oil companies. Though Bush seemingly supported increasing mileage to 35mpg by 2020, in my humble opinion, that is way too little, way too late.

Because of his hesitance in supporting renewable energies and more fuel efficient cars, we are now dealing with a very expensive problem which the taxpayers, once again, have to pay for. This is ridiculous, especially when Europe has so many cars out NOW that get over 40mpg! Which brings me to my next point…

The US automakers don’t sell enough fuel-efficient cars.

Ford, a major US auto company, will have a car out in November that achieves 65 miles to the gallon. That’s even more than the Prius hybrid (which is selling like hotcakes right now)! Sounds like a godsend, doesn’t it? Don’t celebrate so quick; it’s only going to be sold in Europe. Ford claims it’s because the American people don’t like diesel cars. Are you kidding me? In this day and age, people would be quick to buy a car that runs on doggie poop if it could give them that many miles to the gallon. No matter if it’s a dollar more expensive than gasoline right now (which is only because it’s so heavily taxed, something the government can control). Diesel’s heavy taxes lie with the fact that this fuel is mostly used for factories and farm equipment.

Let’s do the math. It might cost $75 to fill up a 15-gallon tank with diesel (assuming $5/gallon), but it would get you almost 1,000 miles (975, to be exact), from a single tank! That’s just seven-and-a-half cents per mile. Compare that to a typical 20 mpg you get from your average car with a 15-gallon tank: $60 for a fill-up (assuming gas is $4/gallon) which would only give you a range of 300 miles: twenty cents per gallon. Hmm. Tough choice!

Ford claims diesel isn’t popular in the US

Let’s examine their claims. Firstly, they say there aren’t many gas stations that sell diesel fuel within the US. I have seen at least every other gas station I frequent to carry diesel fuel (I reside in New York). It would be no trouble at all for me to find and there are websites that can locate the nearest diesel stations near you (as well as show you the cheapest gas prices in your area).

Second, they claim that their cars, which are manufactured outside the US, would have a higher cost of sale (approximately $25k) than a Prius due to freight costs. Haven’t they heard that Toyota dealers can’t keep up the demand for their hybrid?

The crunch between high demand and diminishing supply [for the Prius] is leaving Toyota dealerships in Northern California—one of the most popular regions for hybrid cars—with a current allocation of only about 400 Priuses to share among 65 stores. That equates to an average of approximately five Priuses per dealership per month.

Typically there is a 6-month waiting list. So even if you manage to find a used Prius, chances are it’ll cost you more than a new one off the lot, says USA Today.

Driven by gas prices and waiting lists for new Priuses at many dealers, buyers paid an average $27,945 in June for a 2008 Prius with an average 8,000 miles on it — about $1,300 above the average transaction price for a new one, Power Information Network found.

The Ford executives are being a bunch of dummies right now. This is the time to swoop in and make some serious sales, and yet they’re not even TRYING. They’re only making excuses! I used to be proud, but more and more often I am angry to be an American. The solution is so close and yet no one’s really THINKING about it.

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You might also be interested in...

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3. Changes in Environmental Action Since Obama Took Office
4. Solar energy cheaper than coal?
5. Clean Coal? Not ’till 2030.

Posted in alternative energy, green cars, sustainability