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gasoline
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.
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.
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