[ExI] Dollar a gallon gasoline

[BillK]

On 10/4/07, hkhenson wrote:
> Dollar gas
>
> With enough investment, engineers can do just
> about anything not forbidden by physical laws.
>
<snip>
> So while initial power sat energy would be sold
> into the market a 5-10 cents a kWh, there are no
> barriers I can see to the cost of bus bar energy
> to synthetic fuel plants falling over time into
> the sub cent per kWh­implying that dollar a
> gallon (or even less) fuels are within physical reality.
>
> Of course, the lower you want to drive cost, the
> higher the initial investment.  Even making use
> of surplus items such as the Enterprise for the
> surface anchor, the cost of the space elevator
> project may be the most expense project ever under taken.
>
> It just depends on how much people want dollar gasoline.
>


Not that much, is the answer.

Yes, it would be nice, but not if it needs much effort to get it.

The present US price is around 3 USD per US gallon.
Here in the UK we fall about laughing at such a ridiculously cheap price.

The UK has just had a tax increase on fuel, making it about 98p per litre.
The exchange rate is 2.04 USD to 1 UK pound.
I US gallon = 3.785 litres.
So, converting,
0.98 x 3.785 x 2.04 = 7.56 USD per US gallon.

But there is still little interest in alternative fuels in the UK.
Partly because mileage driven is smaller also, and partly because
narrower, congested roads encourage the use of smaller cars that use
less fuel..

The secret to high fuel prices is to have slow but steady increases.
People don't really notice the water getting hotter if it is gradual
enough.


BillK