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The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

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Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#51

Post by creato »

melling wrote: post #37
derekp7 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people I talk with in my peer group wouldn't even think of getting an all-electric car (except maybe as a secondary vehicle), due to range anxiety. However, what I think will happen over the next 20 years (with battery improvement, etc) is more and more hybrids and plugin hybrids. For example, see Ford's plans starting in 2020. But the plugin hybrids won't be sold as "fuel efficient", but sold as "more powerful"…

How much range do people need before there's no longer range anxiety? People used to complain about 200 miles not being enough then Tesla released 300 miles then they said that's not enough either.

For me, it's not really the range at all, it's what you do at the end of the range. Charging stations are rare and slow, fuel stations are common and quick.

I don't see why gas-electric hybrids, with say, 20-50 miles of electric-only range aren't more popular. That would eliminate the vast majority of fossil fuel usage [1], and avoid this problem entirely. It also seems a lot cheaper than loading a car with hundreds of miles worth of batteries.

1. http://www.solarjourneyusa.com/EVdistanceAnalysis.php

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#52

Post by tjr225 »

oliveshell wrote: post #48
melling wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much range do people need before there's no longer range anxiety? People used to complain about 200 miles not being enough then Tesla released 300 miles then they said that's not enough either.

For me personally, 350-400 miles (in the worst case: with the A/C on full blast, up an incline, including frequent stopping and acceleration) would be a start. But it’s also about about refueling (i.e. charging). Until a spot at a supercharger is as easy to come by as a gas station wherever you go, it won’t be the same. Not to mention having to wait 30+ minutes to charge, which can add up on a road trip.

What if there were "battery stations" with charged swappable, standardized batteries?

You could do your own charging at home or at work otherwise.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#53

Post by pkaye »

melling wrote: post #37
derekp7 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people I talk with in my peer group wouldn't even think of getting an all-electric car (except maybe as a secondary vehicle), due to range anxiety. However, what I think will happen over the next 20 years (with battery improvement, etc) is more and more hybrids and plugin hybrids. For example, see Ford's plans starting in 2020. But the plugin hybrids won't be sold as "fuel efficient", but sold as "more powerful"…

How much range do people need before there's no longer range anxiety? People used to complain about 200 miles not being enough then Tesla released 300 miles then they said that's not enough either.

A 300 miles/charge is fine but the key part is getting charge time around the same as filling a gas tank. Something around 5 minutes is good enough.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#54

Post by 83 »

melling wrote: post #37
derekp7 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people I talk with in my peer group wouldn't even think of getting an all-electric car (except maybe as a secondary vehicle), due to range anxiety. However, what I think will happen over the next 20 years (with battery improvement, etc) is more and more hybrids and plugin hybrids. For example, see Ford's plans starting in 2020. But the plugin hybrids won't be sold as "fuel efficient", but sold as "more powerful"…

How much range do people need before there's no longer range anxiety? People used to complain about 200 miles not being enough then Tesla released 300 miles then they said that's not enough either.

Personally, about 1800 miles. I'm sure there are others who might need more. I take a yearly drive to utah (~1400 miles each way, straight through only stopping for fuel). I'll have an ICE vehicle until range is sufficient to get me there plus a few hundred miles for exploring/getting back to a city where I can charge.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#55

Post by bbcbasic »

21 wrote: post #15
francisofascii wrote: post #6

The word "producer" is misleading. No new oil is being produced. Should be largest "Extractor." Too bad. Wouldn't it be better to buy from other countries and leave your reserves in the ground? In the future, once all the easy to extract oil is gone, the US will have to buy from abroad at potentially higher prices.

It's not the US extracting (or buying) oil, it's private companies. Who can make a profit today.

Eminent Domain

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#56

Post by jseliger »

dekhn wrote: post #45

Daniel Yergin is an energy analyst who has written several good books on oil and energy, The Prize and The Quest. The Prize is a history explaning how to got to 1990. And The Quest explains how we got to 2011. By the end of The Quest, you will understand how we got to here. Why Russia is a major natural gas provider to Europe. Why Venezuela's economy is collapsing. Why Saudi Arabia may follow. And mostly importantly,…

Right now the US seems to be using oil exports to weaken other countries, rather than banking the oil and exploiting it when supply starts to dry up. I also think that some methods aren't long-term a good idea.

I will second the book recommendations and I will also note that by far the best thing the U.S. can do in the short term is switch to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. (And I mean "vehicles" in the broadest sense, including but not limited to cars: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/10/17631318/electric-sc...). That will cut the influence of bad political actors considerably. And almost everyone can, as individuals, take important steps in that direction.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#57

Post by deagle50 »

singularity2001 wrote: post #32
deagle50 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with what you said, they certainly can do that and you could argue the last crude crash was motivated by the US boom. The other argument is that Saudi Arabia's main objective is capturing as much profit as possible on all of their reserves before demand falls off a cliff vs strong-arming competition. They don't want to be stuck with huge deposits nobody wants in 30 years. It's their only export and they will…

> stuck with huge deposits nobody wants in 30 years. isn't them running out of reserves a much bigger risk for them than them running out of customers?

Well that's the trillion dollar question. Renewable energy adoption and carbon regulation are accelerating. I'm struggling to see a scenario where we run out of reserves in this century. I wouldn't put it past a country almost completely dependent on oil to keep stimulating demand.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#58

Post by BrandonMarc »

aphextron wrote: post #5

It's been fascinating to watch Saudi influence wane over the last few years as this sinks in as the new reality. We live in a completely different power structure now from 20 years ago. They're certainly still obscenely rich, but the power they had over geopolitics via OPEC is effectively gone at this point due to tar sands, renewables, and natural gas.

It hurts Russia, too.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#59

Post by dekhn »

jseliger wrote: post #56
dekhn wrote: post #45

Daniel Yergin is an energy analyst who has written several good books on oil and energy, The Prize and The Quest. The Prize is a history explaning how to got to 1990. And The Quest explains how we got to 2011. By the end of The Quest, you will understand how we got to here. Why Russia is a major natural gas provider to Europe. Why Venezuela's economy is collapsing. Why Saudi Arabia may follow. And mostly importantly,…

Right now the US seems to be using oil exports to weaken other countries, rather than banking the oil and exploiting it when supply starts to dry up. I also think that some methods aren't long-term a good idea. I will second the book recommendations and I will also note that by far the best thing the U.S. can do in the short term is switch to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. (And I mean "vehicles" in the broades…

Electric vehicles are only a minor improvement and a large tradeoff (producing batteries is a nasty business). EVs still need power production, which throughout the US uses either coal or natural gas with some solar, nuclear, and wind. I think what we really need is better energy storage so we can store solar energy during the day and release it at night while reducing oil and gas use as small as possible, or exporting it to other countries which haven't got the resources to convert their economies.

Re: The United States Is Now the Largest Global Crude Oil Producer

#60

Post by awakeasleep »

GuiA wrote: post #41
aphextron wrote: post #5

It's been fascinating to watch Saudi influence wane over the last few years as this sinks in as the new reality. We live in a completely different power structure now from 20 years ago. They're certainly still obscenely rich, but the power they had over geopolitics via OPEC is effectively gone at this point due to tar sands, renewables, and natural gas.

Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum: "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashid_bin_Saeed_Al_Maktoum#De...

Keep in mind a decent camel starts at $55k and a thoroughbred goes for $10m to $30m
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