Gas Pump Scorecard
This Week Last Week Year Ago Gas Price - U.S. Average (per gallon) $2.24 $2.28 $1.81 East Coast $2.21 $2.23 $1.76 Mid West $2.15 $2.25 $1.78 Gulf Coast $2.16 $2.18 $1.70 Rocky Mountain $2.26 $2.26 $1.86 West Coast $2.53 $2.53 $2.09 Where the Money Goes Cost breakdown per gallon 21% Taxes 6% Distribution & Marketing 19% Refining 54% Crude Oil Source: U.S. Department of Energy

For my fellow Americans (who drive or at least pump gas), do you find this accurate and what do you think about it? For our foreign friends, how do your gas prices stack up?

Please change subject. Bush has driven the prices thru the roof (and his family is getting loads of cash more as a direct consequence) by so-called Removing Saddam humanitarian mission. There has been more dead in Iraq since he launched that than Saddam regime would manage in 100 years!

In central-western Europe , the price for unleaded gas is around 1,20 Euro/ liter! This is roughly $1,80 /liter to be multiplied by 4 to get a gallon! Around $ 7,00/Gallon if I math/convert well!

A good deal of it are taxes , though!

unleaded 95 costs €1.34/l where I work, nice prise eh.

people are complaining about it but still. The price for a beer is €2,00 per glass (1/4 liter), which makes 8 euro/l and that doesn't get your car 10 kilometers in the right direction.

IMO prices are way too low, I think a good price would be € 3,00 euro per liter. That should encourage people to take public transport and help the envirement.

tuxon wrote: IMO prices are way too low...That should encourage people to take public transport and help the envirement.

You'd think that, wouldn't you? Your idea sure makes sense to me, but auto sales in the US are actually up, with a bigger demand than ever for performance and size rather than economy and mileage.

I am in Idaho and this is right on the money. I was at a 1/4 tank and it cost me 32 clams to fill 'er up. Ridiculous. My theory: gas will never go below $2 a gallon again. Also, I have to buy it, so why waste energy speculating about the price? ..... seem I forgot my own rule.

Don't use American cars then!

James Lee said: "just in case anyone missed it, the gas prices are least expensive in the Gulf States (which include Texas and Florida, home states of the Bush family). I'm sure there's a very good reason for this..."

 I also think that is where the headquarters of most of the major Oil Companies reside too.  Heaven forbid they pay more than the low lifes on the West Coast. Hey I'm one of those

First it was electricity prices now they gouge us with gasoline.  California is getting bled dry by Texas!

How about them Cowboys! 

James Lee Said "You'd think that, wouldn't you? Your idea sure makes sense to me, but auto sales in the US are actually up, with a bigger demand than ever for performance and size rather than economy and mileage."

IF we had any public transportation that was reliable and made sense and was affordable, (even with gas prices it is still cheaper to drive and less time consuming).

I was talking to my friend just yesterday about a related topic - he said Ford's profits are falling because there's a trend towards buying cars without such ridiculously large engines in the US, which in my book can only be a good thing (not for Ford, obviously).

Garion81 wrote: James Lee said: "just in case anyone missed it, the gas prices are least expensive in the Gulf States (which include Texas and Florida, home states of the Bush family). I'm sure there's a very good reason for this..."  I also think that is where the headquarters of most of the major Oil Companies reside too.  Heaven forbid they pay more than the low lifes on the West Coast. Hey I'm one of those First it was electricity prices now they gouge us with gasoline.  California is getting bled dry by Texas! How about them Cowboys!  tuxon wrote: IMO prices are way too low...That should encourage people to take public transport and help the envirement. James Lee Said "You'd think that, wouldn't you? Your idea sure makes sense to me, but auto sales in the US are actually up, with a bigger demand than ever for performance and size rather than economy and mileage."   IF we had any public transportation that was reliable and made sense and was affordable, (even with gas prices it is still cheaper to drive and less time consuming).

Folks,

The price of gasoline is driven by two factors.

1) Investor speculation on oil features, this is reminicent of the dot.com bonanza in the late nineties.

2) We haven't built a new nuclear plant in the U.S. since 1970. We haven't built a new oil refinery since the late seventies. Without new plants, the cost of refining goes up. In economic cirlces it's called functional obsolesence. 

The reason why the cost in Texas and the gulf states are lower is because this is where oil (to be refined) coming from overseas is unloaded. Guess where most of the refining is done. Texas has the largest oil reserves in the U.S. with the exception of Alaska. Where would you keep the refining plants? In economic circles this is called production cycle or just in time production. The aim is to keep the distribution cost down. 

As far as California is concerned, this is the effect of 30 years of environmental legislation gone crazy. You can't expect to continue relying on the same utility plants to generate additional power. California's population has grown tenfold in thirty years, however no new plants have been built. This is due to California's decision to not build new ones as it will pollute the state. That's easy to understand however it's not realistic. Neither is it realistic for California to place caps on the price paid for a kilowatt of electricity. California utilities started to go bankrupt in the late nineties because the legislation wouldn't allow them to sell above the price cap. In effect, they were selling electricity below cost!!?? Given that situation, California had to shop in neighboring states for electricity. However they weren't willing to pay the open market price therefore they began having their famous brownouts. You can't dictate pricing in an open market. Demand sets the price, if you don't want to pay or can't afford it, well that's just too bad. Welcome to the grown up world.

drbr wrote: The gas prices here are 70-75 % taxes. We pay $1.50 per litre. That is $5.70 per gallon. So what are you Americans complaining about?

We "Americans" cover a lot more ground, i.e. do a lot more driving. Not always by choice.

dropForge wrote: We "Americans" cover a lot more ground, i.e. do a lot more driving. Not always by choice.

And you make less efficient cars. Not very logical, is it?  

drbr wrote: dropForge wrote: We "Americans" cover a lot more ground, i.e. do a lot more driving. Not always by choice. You make it sound like Americans are the only ones who suffer from high gas prices.

Do us both a favor, and don't put words in my mouth.

goose wrote: dropForge wrote: We "Americans" cover a lot more ground, i.e. do a lot more driving. Not always by choice. And you make less efficient cars. Not very logical, is it?

Honda is the best selling sedan auto over here.

goose wrote: Don't use American cars then!

Yes! Do you actually need a V8 engine?!? A four cylinder probably consumes at least 1/3 less gas, beit US , European or Japanese> This will also reduce pollution and help this global warming up thing!

Sure V8 are frun to drive! (I had a 68 Firebird and a 87 Mustang) But your standard H transmission on a 4 cyl car is also fun!