Thursday, October 30, 2008

Gas falls from $4.00 to $2.09

In the town that I live in, I have seen the price of gas fall from $4/gallon in late September to $2.09 today. My feelings on this are mixed. I'm glad that families are getting a break, but I'm fearful that they will return to gas guzzling ways.

Interesting how this seems to always, always happen right before a U.S. political election.

Anyway, I hope Americans will not be fooled. The reprieve will certainly be temporary, just long enough to try and derail the momentum gathering behind alternative energies and electric vehicles.

Even with lower gas prices, I'm still adamant that my next car will be a PHEV or better. Although I'm still driving my '04 Mercury Mountaineer, I have my eye on the Chevy Volt for my next car (that is, if GM lives long enough to bring it to market).

We just have to make these changes in our lives. There will little to zero impact on my daily life if I am driving an electric car versus a gas guzzler. I'll probably just keep my old Mountaineer to pull the sailboat the lake. But 99% of my daily driving is less than 25 miles per day, from home to work, from work to home, with a few stops between. I just don't need a V8 for that.

I will not soon forget how quickly gas prices can spike. I won't forget how much my budget hurt with $4 gas. I won't forget to buy an alternatively powered vehicle the very first chance that I get.

With a Minnesota Winter fast approaching (last Sunday we made a snowman here), I now must park the old '78 Sachs Moped. I look forward to taking it out of the garage next May. I managed to put on 300 miles on the old moped this summer. It reminded me just how quickly, fun and easily I can get around this town without a big V8.

No more SUV's. PHEV, here I come!

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