Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
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Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#2In the US the most common cause of a riot is somebody being killed by the police. People in the US seem to accept that gasoline prices go up and down with the market, but in many countries (e.g. Egypt, France) it seems the most common cause of a riot is an increase in the price of gas.
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#3The reason I've found my niche in the EV sector is because there are no more Miata-type vehicles for sale in the US anymore that flip the range anxiety upside down. Most urban and suburban sprawl lives happen in low speed congestion. Smaller vehicles, if subsidized with parking advantages plus never needing to stop at a gas station again, also can maybe catch a break in the ghost-taxation of mandatory insurance. I think the most effective strategy is make people want to go electric because it's just way better, and I'm excited about the future. SEMA 2022 was apparently "electrify all the things!" with a healthy dose of restomod. Sounds great!
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#4The reason I've found my niche in the EV sector is because there are no more Miata-type vehicles for sale in the US anymore that flip the range anxiety upside down. Most urban and suburban sprawl lives happen in low speed congestion. Smaller vehicles, if subsidized with parking advantages plus never needing to stop at a gas station again, also can maybe catch a break in the ghost-taxation of mandatory insurance. I th…
Detroit won the freedom to eliminate small gas cars from their product line in exchange for investing in electric vehicles which might be bad in the short term.
I remember my dad going to American car dealerships in the 1970s who would try very hard not to sell him a small car. Lately I've seen Japanese car dealerships trying the same game. (e.g. you can't buy a new Honda Fit because they said the factory washed out in a flood, but they have 30 CR-Vs that are made in the same factory in stock) Rumor has it that Honda and Toyota would like to get rid of the Civic and Corolla but it's hard to do when they know people will pay a 50% markup or more to get a used one. (e.g. some people's idea of a 'quality' car is that it starts when you turn the key and the head gasket doesn't blow out at 17,000 miles -- that is, not a Cadillac)
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#5The reason I've found my niche in the EV sector is because there are no more Miata-type vehicles for sale in the US anymore that flip the range anxiety upside down. Most urban and suburban sprawl lives happen in low speed congestion. Smaller vehicles, if subsidized with parking advantages plus never needing to stop at a gas station again, also can maybe catch a break in the ghost-taxation of mandatory insurance. I th…
What you propose is a good thing (to me), but there's an aspect of this that seems to be missing in all dialog about EVs: fuel tax.
My understanding is that a large portion of roads and associated infrastructure are funded by fuel taxes (which seems to be fair: the more you use them the more you pay).
I've yet to see an equitable solution to this problem.
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#6The reason I've found my niche in the EV sector is because there are no more Miata-type vehicles for sale in the US anymore that flip the range anxiety upside down. Most urban and suburban sprawl lives happen in low speed congestion. Smaller vehicles, if subsidized with parking advantages plus never needing to stop at a gas station again, also can maybe catch a break in the ghost-taxation of mandatory insurance. I th…
What you propose is a good thing (to me), but there's an aspect of this that seems to be missing in all dialog about EVs: fuel tax. My understanding is that a large portion of roads and associated infrastructure are funded by fuel taxes (which seems to be fair: the more you use them the more you pay). I've yet to see an equitable solution to this problem.
A mileage tax would be decently equitable for a road use tax but it's usually unpopular, though I'd much prefer that to tolls or tracking with cameras.
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#7In the US the most common cause of a riot is somebody being killed by the police. People in the US seem to accept that gasoline prices go up and down with the market, but in many countries (e.g. Egypt, France) it seems the most common cause of a riot is an increase in the price of gas.
In France taxes have made gasoline about twice the price it is in the US, which may explain the increased sensitivity. That fact would also seem to contradict this article summary (I haven't read the article itself) and its suggestion that higher taxes are politically impossible in the long term?
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#8In the US the most common cause of a riot is somebody being killed by the police. People in the US seem to accept that gasoline prices go up and down with the market, but in many countries (e.g. Egypt, France) it seems the most common cause of a riot is an increase in the price of gas.
In France taxes have made gasoline about twice the price it is in the US, which may explain the increased sensitivity. That fact would also seem to contradict this article summary (I haven't read the article itself) and its suggestion that higher taxes are politically impossible in the long term?
What is politically possible in France isn't necessarily politically possible in the U.S. - and vice versa. Different populations, different institutions, different commitments.
EU bureaucrats can strong arm France into doing something very unpopular, and the French population just has to eat it. There can be mass protests (yellow vests) and it doesn't matter. There is no supra-national organization that can do this to the U.S., which is not to say there are no forces in the U.S. that can strong arm the population into doing something. Similarly, the anti-carbon movement isn't anywhere close to being as politically powerful in the U.S. as in Europe, which has strong green parties and the backing of the EU administrative state, whereas in the U.S. the majority of the population just doesn't see this as an important issue.
In other areas, agribusiness can strong arm the US into accepting pesticides and chemicals that would never be allowed in France, and there is not even any debate about this. So it depends on what issue is being discussed.
Re: Popular strategies for reducing gasoline use aren't getting a chance to work
#9This "systems phenomenon" — where governments are mostly constrained to act against our ecologically-enlightened self-interest — is brilliantly described by the lead author of Limits to Growth.