All Cars, All the Time

I Want My $4...A Gallon

The Brit's are headed home and oil is sliding back, but don't get any ideas about lower prices at the pump. According to this article, $4/gallon gas could be in our future. Of course, San Francisco has already seen $3.98 for regular, but we're not talking about the City by the Bay.

I just hope that this possibility causes manufacturers to bolster plans for smaller cars in the USA. Even with GM showing three fuel sipping concepts, Lutz was reportedly telling the press that there's little interest for such cars in the USA. Certainly it would have been a safe bet to say that in the '90's, but now that the USA is waking up from its fuelish hangover it's time GM and the like started thinking small. Not cheapo, looks like a cheap piece of crap, kind of cars but designs that catch the eye and still happen to sip gas. It can be done and GM is showing that it can in fact do it if it really wants to. But of course, with such small profit margins why would GM want to? Increasing fuel economy standards, environmental friendliness, and providing gateway vehicles to first time buyers are just some very simple reasons why GM should think twice before dismissing the triplets.

While were on the subject of gasoline, I'll just reiterate my argument for a reduced number of gasoline blends. Perhaps various regions enacting fuel formulation standards made sense at some point in history, but now these policies are creating fuel islands such as the entire state of California. We need to reduce the number of unique gasoline blends so that fuel can flow freely throughout the county, unimpeded by such silliness. Consumers are paying dearly for very little in return. I mean, heck, pick the most environmentally friendly formulations and sell them everywhere. We'll all pay less and more or less get the same benefit.