gasoline

[nibot]

We all know that gasoline costs more in other countries... but how much more? I'd like to compile a list of avg prices on some day in various countries. I'm just amazed that $3/gallon gas in the U.S. causes such panic. Here's one chart I found in an AP article:



excerpt:

Even before the oil shock, pricey gas in Europe was a reality because of high taxes used to fund government projects and encourage people to use public transportation.

While Americans consider driving wherever and whenever they want a basic right, Europeans traditionally have considered cars as only one way of getting around. Subways, trams and buses are well maintained and dependable in most major European cities, and some — like London — have introduced inner-city driving fees to reduce congestion.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency says Europeans drive half the miles each year that Americans do on average. And they make half the amount of car trips that Americans do.

What’s more, Europeans tend to drive more fuel-efficient cars. German government studies show average fuel consumption of cars on German roads is now about 27 miles a gallon compared to 25.8 miles in the early 1990s. No such trend has been documented for U.S. cars, which instead have become bigger, stronger and more gas-hungry over the past few years.

In Europe, added taxes and charges on new cars, road use and toll booths compound the burden of driving. In Norway, for instance, a 100-percent tax on new cars doubles what might otherwise be the sticker price.

Dutch gas, at $6.56 a gallon, is more than twice what Americans have to pay. Nearly two-thirds of that, however, are taxes and duties. Strip away the surcharges and it would cost about $2.47 a gallon.

German, French, Italian, Belgian, Portuguese Swedish and British drivers pay nearly as much as the Dutch, again with taxes making up the bulk of the burden.

At close to $4 a gallon — Latvians, who pay the least within the 25-nation European Union, still end up forking more than a third more at the pump than the average American.

Compounding the pain are wages that are in most cases lower than those of Americans. The prosperous Swedes, for instance, earn the equivalent of about $36,000 a year, which is still several thousand dollars short of what Americans take home on average.

On the lower end of the scale is Hungary, where gas at $5.28 a gallon takes a painful chunk out of the average yearly paycheck of $11,440.

I have heard some people say that they think the high gas prices are a good thing because they provide motivation to drive less... I am not entirely sure this is true. I am not sure how much Americans would really reduce their driving due to high prices. And the current increases in price are due to supply/demand, rather than taxes. If gas prices increased due to taxes that would cover alternatives to driving, it would be more a reason to celebrate than simply having high prices due to supply/demand, the proceeds from which will go ultimately to increasing gasoline production capacity.

Comments

gas prices

[(Anonymous)]

Unless Americans realize that "driving wherever and whenever they want" in gas-guggling cars (especially SUVs!) just means using up limited natural resources as oil I don't think anything is likely to change. Even gasoline prices as high as european ones will not cause people to use other transport media, not in the least by lack of alternative transport media (train) as in Europe or Japan. However, having high taxes on gasoline etc allows the government to have funding for "public infrastructure" - and we have seen quite recently in New Orleans what it means when those infrastrctures break down.

[hukuma.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's much of a move towards driving less, but there's the beginnings of a move away from large SUVs and towards more fuel efficient cars.

[archimedes314.livejournal.com]

What really sucks is that our way of life here in the U.S. is commonly centered around the fact that cheap solo transportation is usually possible. As that gets less and less possible, it is seriously going to hurt this country.

I'm glad I live in a place where I don't touch my car most days, where I walk/ride a bike/take a bus to almost anywhere I need to go. I'm glad not because of gas prices, but because that's how I myself want to live... I hate being tied to a car.

Plus, gas is seriously still cheaper or on par with milk... which doesn't make a whole lot of sense in my mind. Milk should definitely be cheaper than gas. If we had to go thousands of miles away to dig cows up from under the ground... then maybe I could see milk being more expensive... but yeah... so yeah.

[bensdiorama.livejournal.com]

We have been given candy for years -- easy to get used to, and not so fun when taken away. We are gas junkies. Oil companies getting stinking rich in this process deepens the pain.

Although a recent AAA survey showed most people not cutting back much on car travel in spite of rising gas costs, I'm happy to see the SUV sales have gotten a reality check. I wouldn't mind other people's choice to feed their big cars except that they are being piggy wrt greenhouse warming, pollution, and possibly raising prices more than me, by way of high demand. Gas tax for improvements in public transportation --> a good thing.

[roxymartini.livejournal.com]

sure, americans take needless roadtrips (even you once in a while) and drive around doing... nothing in particular (also you), but slapping a huge 200% tax on gas is only really going to hurt the people who can't cut back on driving. like commuters. my mom used to commute every day to mountainview. some 2 hours away.

if the taxes really would be used towards better public transportation, yes wonderful. but. BUT. they wouldn't be. oil companies and car companies have too much sway over our government.

[october31st.livejournal.com]

It's not complaining about $3 or $4/gal - it's complaining that it eats up so much more out of what may be a tight budget for some. I think Europeans would be unhappy with a drastic rise in prices and possible shortages too. Also, from what I know of Europe, it is much more interconnected, transportation-wise, than America is, as well as being a much smaller area to get around in, geographically. Metropolitan areas, which are more likely to have public transport, and much farther apart here than there. And while there are buses, at least, in Rochester, the schedule is not convenient for me (in the suburbs - cannot depend on a bike like city-dwellers might) to get to and from school and work on a bus. Sure, America needs better public transport, but there's no need to blame the average citizen who doesn't have access to it, just because they are concerned about gas and their finances.

[wanton-adonis.livejournal.com]

To do anything Americans have to drive; no way around it. UK? percentage wise very very few have to drive, even then not very far, and I do believe the taxes are aimed at the wealthy buggers. I wonder how American and UK industries are deling with the hikes.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Americans live the way they do because they can drive. If driving were more expensive, we'd live differently.

[wanton-adonis.livejournal.com]

yep, and we probably wouldn't have minor towns spread across the Rockies or people commuting from Temecula to SD........we'd probably have trains.....that would be cool......but till then.

and yes, we could be just a tad bit more efficient

The Sudden Rush On Vaseline

[inertiacrept.livejournal.com]

I try to avoid writing on stuff like this in blogland, but I can't help it this time.

Yes, it is very significant that we drive a lot, lalala, SUV's bad, lalala.

But this country is all about the shipping. The real impact on consumers ain't gonna be at the gas tank... everything is gonna get more expensive because we are a huge, empty country and our consumer goods get shipped on trucks. Not to mention the fact that oil, as petroleum, is the key ingredient in a hell of a lot more than gasoline. Tires! Factories! VASELINE!

And then there's the small matter of our airlines dropping like flies.

Yeah, it sucks to pay 15 extra bucks at the pump. But if that's all the increase in gas prices was gonna do, I think I'd ultimately be all for it.

Re: The Sudden Rush On Vaseline

[nibot.livejournal.com]

true.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

you mean, like this (http://www.livejournal.com/users/nibot/392853.html)? (-:

[tjernobyl.livejournal.com]

A lot of cities aren't even set up so it's _feasible_ to be entirely without car. Due to lack of urban planning, my city has sprawled extensively, and very little effort has been made to extend the bus system. It costs more than gas for all but travel from one edge to another, and it's not uncommon for a bus to be 10 minutes early or 15 minutes late on a run that happens once an hour. As for bikes, the only trail runs along the edges, nowhere near either of our since-dissolved downtowns.

I try, but it's gonna take urban redesign before we can make much progress weaning off.