If you live in the Los Angeles Basin this is probably old news, but a recent LA Times story reported that the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Los Angeles hit an all-time high for February - averaging $3.50/gallon.
From the article:
The price, which reached $3.99 in some parts of Los Angeles, was the highest since October 2008, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Some stations are charging more than $4.25 for premium and $4.69 for diesel.
Various factors are cited for the spike, including unrest in the Middle East as well as West Coast refineries running at 74% capacity, instead of the 90% capacity that is common in other parts of the country. Running at less than capacity limits inventories and drives up prices. Speculation exists that the lower capacity figures could be a deliberate attempt to manipulate prices, or simply the result of refineries needing to shift over production to the "summer-time blend" that is sold in California starting next month. Regardless of the reason for the current spike, experts believe that the February price bodes ill for the upcoming summer driving season when gas prices historically go up.
All of this has some consumers resigned to their fate - but are they? Again from the article:
"You need to use your car, so you have no choice but to buy it…you're helpless," said small business owner Alonso Larita, 40, of Culver City, who found that $25 at the downtown Shell station would buy him just 6.4 gallons for his Ford Ranger.
Others seemed to chide themselves for still being dependent on fossil fuels after enduring so much pain at the pump.
Actor and downtown Los Angeles resident Keifer Grimm, 23, for example, said "I don't even think of it anymore" as he spent $20 for 5.1 gallons for his midsize sedan. "That's the shameful part of it. We continue to consume it without even thinking."
Meanwhile, Nissan has received 20,000 paid reservations for its all-electric Leaf and GM has reported strong demand for its plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. According to a CNN Money article, "sales of these cars are limited by how fast the automakers can produce them and get them to dealers" - certainly a nice problem to have. "Right now we're selling every one we can make," GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said, "so as shipments rise we expect sales to rise as well."
Despite the naysayers, these are the cars of the future. They are the solution to our unsustainable dependence on foreign oil - indeed, to oil period - and when coupled with an appropriately sized solar power system, owners of these vehicles will sail past the pump while they Run on Sun. What could be better than that?
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