[dub_scratch]

Here are a few facts regarding Europe, particularly wealthy western Europe, compared to the US

1) Western Europeans drive 2/3 the distance per capita compared to the Americans

2) Western Europeans consume half the oil per capita compared to the Americans

3) UK, Germany & France get about $1,950 GDP per barrel of oil consumed while the US gets $1,300 of GDP per barrel.

4) Europe has rail, mass transit and --most importunately-- they have much better access-by-proximity than the US. The US has nothing but garbage urban sprawl. All of this stuff takes energy to build and will likely be very difficult to produce after peak oil.

One scenario for the post peak oil era is that Europe will become the center of wealth in the world while the US gets dirt poor. This will be because the inherent energy efficiency of Europe that is already in place will translate into greater wealth for those who conduct their lives there. In contrast the US garbage sprawl will be a dysfunctional mess without any redeemable value. The remaining wealthy Americans will take themselves and their money to Europe where they would be able to live the European Dream.

Europe will remain relitively wealthy while the US will become Bangladesh with freeways.

[Ibon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RidgeRunner', '[')

A little 'car' (Smart Car) like that is probably much safer staying in little Europe.

[Claudia]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dub_scratch', 'H')ere are a few facts regarding Europe, particularly wealthy western Europe, compared to the US

1) Western Europeans drive 2/3 the distance per capita compared to the Americans

2) Western Europeans consume half the oil per capita compared to the Americans

3) UK, Germany & France get about $1,950 GDP per barrel of oil consumed while the US gets $1,300 of GDP per barrel.

4) Europe has rail, mass transit and --most importunately-- they have much better access-by-proximity than the US. The US has nothing but garbage urban sprawl. All of this stuff takes energy to build and will likely be very difficult to produce after peak oil.

[The_Toecutter]

I don't know about the rest of you, but once my electric car is finished and running, gas prices aren't going to hurt my transportation expenditures at all. Simply plug into an electric outlet, and whenever I want to drive it, unplug, and enjoy. Would gas get $9-10 in America, our highways would be damn near empty, and I'd be free to speed down them at 130+ mph as much as I want...

[KevO]

Simmons seems to think that US consumers will keep paying gas prices at least to $5 a gallon and probably beyond until..well until there's none left!
This event has really been factored by Campbell et al.
The UK is now at £4 a gallon ($7) and we keep paying, moaning yes but paying nonetheless
The attachment and obsession with the car is above and beyond all else and the captains will go down with their ships.
I guess this means a f****** hard crash when it comes...............in October

[Sys1]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')ill peak oil limit American car use?

[mgibbons19]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('The_Toecutter', 'I') don't know about the rest of you, but once my electric car is finished and running, gas prices aren't going to hurt my transportation expenditures at all. Simply plug into an electric outlet, and whenever I want to drive it, unplug, and enjoy. Would gas get $9-10 in America, our highways would be damn near empty, and I'd be free to speed down them at 130+ mph as much as I want...

[CARVER]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mgibbons19', '
')Of course as a cyclist I keep thinking that perhaps the upshot of all this is that there will be fewer ppl trying to run me down as soon as I step out the door. But it is nice to pass gas stations.

[Gogo]

Inevitably it will be the poor who will will feed the greatest impact of a seller's market: there will ALWAYS be gas available if you have enough money to pay. Case in point: Indonesia is already begging for mercy from high oil prices, and they are in OPEC!! So, the way it will play out is that public transit and all traffic in say Dacca or Manila will gradually come to a standstill for want of oil, creating all kinds of hardship. In the meantime wealthy folks in North America will continue to drive their SUV's (only they may trade in for hybrid SUV's (wow eee) for some time longer until everything seriously unravels. As I see it, the US and W. Europe are rather an aberration, since both are at the same time very large net importers, and at the same time wealthy. In addition, the US enjoys the luxury of being to pay in US dollars (at least for now). In other countries the situation is different: either you are a net importer or you are not. If you are a net importer, the noose will tighten; if you are net exporter, then there are mountains of money to be had. The challenge will be to see that it is distributed fairly.

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('chris-h', '
')Seems you were right Reggie.
We've hit $3 a gallon in the States and SUV's have just recorded their best ever monthly sales - the best in history!

Link

[KevO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('emersonbiggins', '[')
This "highest sales" month ever is merely one of the last twitchings of the corpse that is GM, e.g. their "employee discount for everyone". All it means is more sheeple than usual went into a GM dealership, bought a Tahoe at deep discount and retreated into the hinterlands to bitch about high gas prices. There's really no further incentive that GM could offer without simply selling them below cost. .

[deconstructionist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('reggieUK', 'W')ill peak oil/higher oil prices limit car use
The immediate response would probably be Yes, Dickhead!

[ilex]

I think US won't limit car use until price goes up a lot more. I've got family in the US and they'll give up wearing clothes before giving up driving.

I just did some math.

diesel here (Spain) is about 4.62 dollars a gallon (goverments wants a new 5% tax to make more money so it will soon be 5$)

with my car I make 47 mpg and I'm spending almost 7% of my salary on gas, mostly going to work.

I can handle that, but once it gets to 15 - 20% of my salary things will get scary as I'm sure other costs will go up as well. If it gets over 30% I would probably change my job.

I don't think people will change their way of leaving too much untill prices double, after that will see some very significant changes around here.

[Chaparral]

Right now everyone seems to think that $4.00 USD per gallon will be the magic number that creates demand destruction. A year ago they were saying $3.00. In California the price for 91 Octane is $2.92 per gallon. Even the Ferrari and Porsche guys are starting to worry. A number of them are thinking of switching to Priuses more fuel efficient models for the daily commute.

The word on the ground here is that large used trucks and SUVs are definitely NOT selling. Intuitively, I see what I think are slightly fewer large vehicles on the road and more smaller cars. I've no hard data on anything yet.

[Backtosteam]

Well it certainly seems the higher prices have raised an awareness of fuel usage. At a buck per gallon, it didn't even factor into someone's decision to buy a SUV or take an extra trip. I'm not sure it has altered behavior, but an awareness is the first step. Prices get the masses attention.