I don’t know if this will work but the following address has an interesting article about 250 mpg hybred cars
[url=http://phoenix.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8BVFUNO0:db8d6]http://phoenix.cox.net/cci/newsnational/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8BVFUNO0[/url:db8d6]
Snow on the roof but with fire still in the hearth
Just as a side bar:
You do realize that with getting great mileage, the government gets less gas tax revenues and has less money for everything especially road repairs that will increase due to expected increased use. To make up for that short-fall, the government will have to look elsewhere for monies with which to build, maintain and repair roads. I believe 2 states are already looking into a special additional tax system based on miles driven. So, aside from any environmental or international political benefits, you are responsible for the state’s budget. What do you do with the following problem.
Last year your state got $1 billion in gas tax revenue and had a $1 billion expenditure for roads. You now anticipate $200 million in gas tax revenues but your roads are expected to cost $1.1 billion for building, maintenance and repairs. Figure out what to do.
Allan
silvertop2
Do you remember back in the late 60s when the first oil shortage started. The oil companys gave us all the excuses for high gas prices.No oil, Opc raised production,no trucks, the fleet was found parked in AZ.Can,t refine the oil to meet demand, refinery runing at 62% ect. All excuses found to be untrue.Than some people asked why not make ALCOHOL.It burns clean ,its made from organic stuff,cars will run on it. All the noise stopped .Gas prices went down.Not where thay were,But the people stopped yelling about it
NOW.the war,low oil production, the worker strike in South America oil fields,China sucking it up ect.AND my EXXON stock going thru the roof.[NO complant there]
Now this hybred car would be great if it would go 250 miles.or pull my boat.
Some one said if you don’t study history you will repeat it or somthing like that. Are we doing that.
Like the man said just my 2c worth
The Donn
JC,
Gee, imagine if your governor decided to place a 25% state tax on all ‘non-essential’ items. Now what the gov’t. decides is essential will not be the same as you or I. “Washington is a very wealthy state and we are not taxed enough, a few still have some money.” Maybe by the time your governor gets done you’ll have a smoke free state, a gas effective state and a state void of any voluntary purchases.
Allan
JC,
I think you missed my point or maybe I didn’t sharpen it enough?
“Non-Essentials” = sports and recreational items to include all fishing equipment & supplies.
Allan
[This message has been edited by tyeflies (edited 14 August 2005).]
Our gas up here is now @ .94 per litre, ugly, and we are floating on light & heavy crude here in Alberta. Our govt. royalty on gas is about 50% of the pump price and our govt. has huge surpluses each year, in the billions, as do the oil companies. All of that being said, we are fed up with the greed and gouging we see at the pumps. Perhaps it is time that consumers rethink their politics and the power we have given governments & large multinational corporations to control our lives & drain our bank accounts. Just my rant, go fishing & have fun.
Rick
Yeah Act D. I remember those days. I was living in Amsterdam, Holland in the late 60’s when the Dutch riled the Arabs and got their oil supply greatly reduced. So, the Dutch government instituted Carless Sundays. It was a great idea…people actually got out on the street and walked, meeting others all doing the same. The noise level in A’dam was pleasurable, the public transportation (buses primarily) thrived, air got cleaner etc. etc. etc. Maybe Hans W. can remember the time (but then again, Hans being the youngster that he is, maybe he was still in his dydies then.
As I recall, Carless Sundays went on for several weeks.
There was also something about you could only drive your car every other day - based upon whether the last didget of your license tag was odd or even. I don’t remember the specifics though.
As mentioned earlier, having an effecient and complete public transportation system is the key towards cutting down on commuter traffic. BART in the SF Bay area is a pretty good example of what we can do in the US. The best public transportation system I know of is in Singapore…only the well-to-do or those with company cars “need” a car…one can live in Singapore quite well without a car and many many do.
Guys, we ain’t gonna solve the problem here on this forum. It’s good to talk about it though and maybe just maybe our respective (note I didn’t say RESPECTABLE) legislators will eventually get us on the right track. I question the results though.
Snow on the roof but with fire still in the hearth
Even here in N.Z. the Govt Rakes in Billions in Extra Taxes on Petrol. The say it’s for Roads. Should be paved with gold by now if it were true. Seems to be a world wide disease.
The sooner something can be found to replace petrol the better. Sure some will feel a chill in their back pockets but plain old Joe will be better off once the wailing, moaning and gnashing of teeth stops. Been that way throughout history.
Just as an aside: When I first started Fly fishing in South Africa’ I had an old Minni and It sure seemed to do 250 MPG I spent so much time pushing it “G”. Jax
I’m a much better Fly fisher when talking fishing, than when I’m Actually Fly fishing!
Caught a news item on CNN yesterday where an electrical engineer in his day job - took a Prius hybrid and upped the mileage to 80 (norm I believe was around 40-45 mpg for hte Prius).
80 … 250 … better than the hi-20’s I get now. At $1.004 to $1.039 per liter ($3.815 - $3.948 per US gal) … fishing trips are getting closer to home.
taxes … hmms … thats a whole lotta something else I can ramble on. Suffice to say - they’ll raise them as they wish.
I’ve got my bucket of tar and feathers ready. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Ronald Reagan had the guts to slap the windfall profits tax on the oil companies. Perhaps they need another dose of that. Cavuto on Fox reported that the major oil companies are all posting huge profit increases. Well, what a surprise. No matter what they aren’t going to stop me from fly fishing. They can have my fly rod and car keys when they pry them from my cold, dead fingers!
Eric “nighthawk”
An American Proverb:
Perseverance will accomplish all things.
You load sixteen tons, and what do ya get?
It only costs me $520.00 to fill my tanks. And I get a whopping 5-5.5 mpg.
RW here,
Not to gloat or anything, but when it gets too bad I’ll fall back on plan B.
PLAN B: There are 43 lakes and ponds in my county alone here in Maine. I can just about fall out my back door and get wet. In my local area there are three nice trout streams I really don’t fish enough. It’s a short walk to one of them.
If it really gets bad, and I’m almost broke (not likely) I’ll just park my truck in the second bay of my two car garage and forget I even have it.
Later, RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
[This message has been edited by Royal Wulff (edited 20 August 2005).]
Silvertop,
Getting back to the 250 mpg car…
One of the things that gets dismissed when talking about such cars as the one in the article is the cost of using the extra batteries the owner put in his car. Two things pop to mind:
1.) the extra electricity needed from power plants, specifically coal fired plants (a significant source of electricity in the US). The pollution from these plants is significant, and can lead to other wide reaching problems (acid rain for example)
2.) the cost in environmental impact of disposing of the extra batteries. That’s a lot of batteries that will end up in our landfills.
Now these are environmental concerns… I’m conviently ignoring the political costs/benefits.
Hextall, I couldn’t agree with you more!!! That’s why I keep harping on the need for new Atomic Generators. Wind Power and Solar Power are also high on my list too of course. The problem with the wind and solar generators is that the cost of production, particularly the solar collectors, is still too high to be considered cost effective.
This country has got to get with it!! Enough of the NIMBYs, enough of the I’M SCAREDs, enough of hugging the wrong tree, we have got to face the reality of the moment and seek; 1) more alternate source generated electricity, such as atomic, wind & solar plus, 2) more of our own domestically produced low sulpher crude oil.
OK gang, trash at me if you will.
Snow on the roof but with fire still in the hearth