Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
As people have said before the prices are supply/demand depended. The supply is not only depended on the crude oil that is extracted from the earth, but also the refined oil that has been processed and is ready for consumption.
Part of why there was such a huge increase in price after hurricane Katrina is because the storm played havoc with the refining process, disabling the refineries. Same thing with the refinery fire in Texas recently.
Yes, there is plenty of oil sitting around in reserves, and the supply of crude is pretty steady, but thats not what we put in our tanks. Remember last summer when pumps across Toronto went dry? Again, a refinery problem, and not a crude supply shortage.
For the people complaining about prices being high, when is the last time you bought a bottle of water, or ice tea, or pop at the gas station or convenience store? You just paid $2/liter for any of those products. Think about how ridiculous that is. Until then, be thankful you are are paying LOW gas prices! Our prices are artificially low compared to many parts of the world.
I'm happy taking the bus for anywhere I need to go.
Feb-20-2008 17:33
TO guy
JELO owns me
Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Toronto
quote:
Originally posted by Orko
I'm happy taking the bus for anywhere I need to go.
Bus ... pfffff ... move to where you want to go, then walk everywhere
Feb-20-2008 17:37
exstasie
Hack Attack
Registered: Jun 2006
Location: Toronto/Sauga, Canada
quote:
Originally posted by Orko You just paid $2/liter for any of those products.
Exactly!
Whenever I start to feel bad about the price of gas, I just think comparatively to what the price of other liquids we consume are and it tends to make me feel better haha.
Even though I don't consume 25 litres a week in Pop or Beer...
Relatively speaking, its still cheap.
___________________
"I'm not stoned...I'm just Asian!"
Feb-20-2008 17:40
Sentinal
Playing with 250
Registered: Jun 2007
Location: Drivers Seat
quote:
Originally posted by exstasie
Exactly!
Whenever I start to feel bad about the price of gas, I just think comparatively to what the price of other liquids we consume are and it tends to make me feel better haha.
Even though I don't consume 25 litres a week in Pop or Beer...
Relatively speaking, its still cheap.
I understand that argument but I consume a lot more gas than water, or beverages in general. For instance I go through about 10-12 litres a day to go to work. That is needed just to go to work, either that or I spend an extra 2 hours out my day taking the bus. I do not drink 10-12 litres a day. So spending more on water doesn't seem to be justified either, but our entire economy is driven by oil and transportation. If oil goes up, EVERYTHING is effected.
Feb-20-2008 18:00
*~LiSa-LoO~*
Ferry Corsten's bitch
Registered: Mar 2003
Location: on holiday
quote:
Originally posted by Skipper
Economists are predicting the price from oil in one year to be about $92/barrel. It could mean lower prices for drivers.
I'd say the safe bet is to just get used to it. Oil is a diminishing resource. Supply down, demand up = higher prices.
On the news the other day I heard that it was $100/barrel this past weekend.
Also...our gas prices are nothing compared to Holland's. Theirs is like 2 times the price or something.
___________________
Shut up and DANCE!!
House moves my body, Trance owns my soul, Progressive drives me wild
Feb-20-2008 18:01
Orko
Digital Hippie
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
quote:
Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
On the news the other day I heard that it was $100/barrel this past weekend.
Also...our gas prices are nothing compared to Holland's. Theirs is like 2 times the price or something.
The price had hit $100/barrel weeks ago. Skipper was saying the projected price for a barrel of oil will be $92 a year from now. Also, most of Europe pays double what we do for gas.
Feb-20-2008 18:06
Orko
Digital Hippie
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
For anybody that wants hybrid and electric cars, the technologies just are not efficient enough as Sly_Guy pointed out. Battery cells are crazy expensive to produce and dispose of and have short life spans. Our best bet is to just produce cars with smaller engines, which nobody wants. That is the best thing we could do for our selves and the environment. Remember hybrid cars are actually worse for the environment than most SUV's.
quote:
As Lithium Cars Arrive, Lithium Questions Persist
As anyone who's recently replaced a laptop-computer battery will tell you, lithium-ion power ain't cheap. And because lithium-ion cells often show some degree of capacity degradation within a year, no matter how often or how vigorously they're used, and because they've been known to drop dead altogether before the three-year mark, you just have to cringe a little each time a slick new lithium-ion-powered vehicle shows up.
A company called Hybrid Technologies today announced is 2008 range of electric vehicles, ahead of an official debut at next month's New York International Auto Show — six lithium-ion-powered vehicles, including a $39,500 electric version of the $11,350 Toyota Yaris hatchback called the LiV Wise and a 600-horsepower carbon-fiber-bodied sports car called the LiV Rush. The company already offers lithium-ion-powered versions of the Mini Cooper (dubbed the LiV Flash, and priced at $57,500), the Smart ForTwo (the LiV Dash; $43,500), and the Chrysler PT Cruiser (the LiV Surge; $55,000). Performance-wise, all of Hybrid's conversions will hum along for a claimed 100 miles or so and top out somewhere between 70 and 80 mph (except for the fairly frightening little Rush, which can hit 120 mph). Hybrid Technologies also claims its cars' battery packs are good for at least 1500 charges.
But amid the usual optimistic statements on the company's web site related to earth-friendliness and pennies-per-mile operation, a few key ownership facts, including maintenance information, battery replacement costs, and warranty details, are conspicuous in their absence. (Surely, you don't suppose Toyota, Mini, Chrysler, or Smart will be taking responsibility for gutted and electrified versions of their cars, do you?)
Companies selling (or about to sell) electric vehicles are quick to drop eye-catching phrases like "less than 2¢ per mile" and "135 mpg equivalent." But really, marketing-speak aside, just how much is this battery-powered plug-in wonder car going to cost?
We'd be remiss at this point to leave out the poster child for the lithium-ion battery industry, the glam-tastic $100,000 Tesla Roadster (pictured above). According to Tesla, the Roadster uses cylindrical "18650 form-factor" lithium-ion cells (so-named because of their 18-mm diameter and 65-mm length — roughly the size of a standard AA cell), just like a laptop computer. But while the average laptop battery consists of eight of these 18650 cells, each one containing about 0.6 grams of lithium; the Roadster crams some 6500 cells into a steel-reinforced pack that tips the scales at a hefty 992 pounds. With a full charge, the Tesla pack contains roughly the energy of two gallons of gasoline and will provide "more than 100,000 miles of peak performance driving."
Not bad if it's true, but when the other side of 100,000 miles is a dollar sign followed by a big question mark (we've heard $20,000 tossed around), it's a little scary. And yet, how many trunkless, roofless Tesla Roadsters will ever see the 100,000 mile mark? Doubtless very few, particularly when we consider that, according to Mazda, the typical MX-5 Miata (which does have a trunk, and air bags, and a price tag one-quarter that of the Tesla) accrues only about 5000 to 7000 miles a year.
So the frequency of battery replacement is, if not a deal-breaker for the would-be electric-car buyer, then at least a matter of some concern. Admittedly, most people in the industry feel confident that current li-ion prices will fall considerably during the next few years, and that pessimism related to the global supply of the earth's 33rd most abundant element appears to be largely unfounded. Worldwide supply capacity for lithium carbonate (the base material of lithium salt and lithium) is between 80,000 and 90,000 tons a year; for 2006, demand amounted to about 84,000 tons, some 22 percent of which went to the battery industry.
Naturally, as lithium-ion further displaces nickel-metal hydrid and other battery types, demand for the material will grow significantly, and it looks like China will be picking up the slack, and then some. Currently, Chinese lithium carbonate capacity stands at about 33,000 tons, but recent mining technology advances — notably the construction of a new facility in the Chahar Salt Lake Zone in the Qinghai province — are expected to bump that figure to more than 43,000 tons before 2010, which will produce a significant glut of the stuff and very likely drive down prices for lithium-ion batteries, making widespread automotive applications a whole lot more realistic.
Money isn't everything, needless to say, and lithium-ion batteries come with a fair share of tangible concerns, as well. Cold-weather performance is one. Tesla employs a battery-warming system to save the charge, but other li-ion cars aren't so well-equipped. Safety — both in terms of vehicle crashworthiness and an ugly chain reaction called "thermal runaway" — is another. Tesla claims its engineers have gone to great lengths to ensure the integrity of the Roadster's battery pack, using a multi-layer protective case and a sophisticated electronic Battery Safety Monitor. And yet, when you witness the grim vision of lithium-ion cells gone bad (check out the video of an exploding laptop battery, below), you can't help but wonder.
Perhaps harping on the weaknesses of the lithium-ion battery is akin to complaining because gasoline is flammable. The battery does its job quite well, thanks to a relatively high energy density, a low self-discharge level, and generally maintenance-free operation. And until the next great leap in energy storage technology — capacitors layered in charge-holding carbon nanotubes look quite promising — it's here to stay. Downsides and all.
Originally posted by Orko
For anybody that wants hybrid and electric cars, the technologies just are not efficient enough as Sly_Guy pointed out. Battery cells are crazy expensive to produce and dispose of and have short life spans. Our best bet is to just produce cars with smaller engines, which nobody wants. That is the best thing we could do for our selves and the environment. Remember hybrid cars are actually worse for the environment than most SUV's.
I remember Cale telling me that before...hybrid cars and electric cars are more about appearing like they're better for the environment, but realistically they're not!
___________________
Shut up and DANCE!!
House moves my body, Trance owns my soul, Progressive drives me wild
Feb-20-2008 18:15
linear_algebra
Senior tranceaddict
Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Los Angeles
Just take TTC
Feb-20-2008 18:16
Engine9
Loin King
Registered: Jun 2004
Location: Planet earth, tdot central
guess what half of ttc runs on?
___________________
The darkness is calling me
I cant control these feelings...
Feb-20-2008 18:22
malek
drinks your milkshake!
Registered: Nov 2001
Location: Montréal
quote:
Originally posted by linear_algebra
Just take TTC
yeah, the containers will take the TTC, the big families with 3 kids and groceries will take the ttc, people with back problem will take the ttc, ...
sick and tired of these hippies blurting out take the bus, stop using your private cars... borderline commies.
Originally posted by malek
yeah, the containers will take the TTC, the big families with 3 kids and groceries will take the ttc, people with back problem will take the ttc, ...
sick and tired of these hippies blurting out take the bus, stop using your private cars... borderline commies.
haha yeah...buy the family pass if ur travelling with big families with 3 kids....