R.I. gas prices surge to 3rd record high
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BLOOMBERG NEWS / JIN LEE
NATIONWIDE, the average price of self-serve regular today was $3.609 per gallon, a level that for Rhode Island is still 2 cents away. Above, a man fills his vehicle at a station in New York.
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PROVIDENCE – “Gasoline prices continue to vault to record highs, with a 15-cent increase over the last week leaving prices today on the doorstep of $3.60 per gallon,” AAA Southern New England wrote in its weekly fuel-price report.
AAA’s April 28 survey of gasoline prices at local stations found self-serve, unleaded regular averaging $3.589 per gallon – up 15 cents from last week and 34 cents over the past two weeks – setting a new record, for the third week in a row. A year ago, the average price in Rhode Island was $2.899.
Nationwide, the average self-serve price of regular gas was $3.609 per gallon – up 10 cents from last week and 23 cents from two weeks ago – or 2 cents above this week’s average price in Rhode Island.
Prices for self-serve regular at local stations had a 17-cent range, from a low of $3.529 to a high of $3.699 per gallon. Wider ranges were seen for other grades of gasoline, which had average self-serve prices of $3.709 for midgrade unleaded and $3.809 for premium.
The average self-serve price of diesel fuel also continued to rise, hitting $4.409 in this week’s survey, up 3 cents from last week and 14 cents from two weeks ago. (The U.S. Department of Energy has cited higher auto ownership in China and India, where diesel vehicles are more common, as one reason for the surge. READ MORE)
AAA Southern New England is a nonprofit auto club providing travel, insurance, finance and auto-related services to more than 2 million local members with 34 offices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. To find the most up-to-date self-service and full-service gasoline prices in a given area, go to www.AAA.com and click on Gas Saving Tips & Tools.
Our Auto Industry, Fuel Economy, Emissions, Oil Imports, and Employment
Here are some of the real facts:
As adults, Detroit3 corporate management hopefully understood (and STILL understands) the intent of CAFE that STARTED with the oil embargos of the 1970s ... AND ... CONTINUES WITH the EVEN MORE URGENT NATIONAL NEED ... today. Sadly, their domestic performance does NOT REFLECT THAT UNDERSTANDING.
They, the Det3, have demonstrated their capability to develop and provide radically higher fuel economy (AND lower emissions) in Europe (EU) since 1998!
The 2008 US vehicles rated *** 25 mpg combined average and more *** compared to their European offerings:
** US Chrysler = 4 vehicles (with "best" @ 26 mpg) [Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep]
# EU Chrysler = 7 vehicle configurations rated ~32 to ~40 mpg(US) combined cycle
** US Ford = 5 vehicles (with 2 "bests" @ 32 mpg) [Ford and Mercury]
# EU Ford = 22 vehicle configurations rated ~42 to ~58 mpg(US) combined cycle
** US GM = 24 vehicles (with "best" @ 29 mpg) [Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, GMC, Pontiac, Saturn]
# EU GM/Opel/Vauxhall = 50 vehicle configurations rated ~42 to ~53 mpg(US) combined cycle
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008bymanuf.jsp?year=2008
http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/search/
There are NO vehicles from the Detroit3 in the US rated above 33 mpg(US) combined average.
PLEASE explain how Chrysler, Ford, AND/OR GM meets either the intent OR the spirit of the 2008 CAFE objective of 27 mpg plus?
The US versus EU offerings clearly demonstrates that the US consumer could easily reduced (by choice) their fuel consumption by more than 50% to 60% by a different choice of vehicle ... IF ... it were available to CHOOSE!
That choice, alone, COULD put several $ thousands in current fuel cost back into the consumer pockets per year for other domestic goods and services.
With wide enough acceptance, oil imports could approach ZERO (0) within 10 years. That would be about $0.8 TRILLION per year savings in unnecessary fuel consumption ($0.6 TRILLION per year just for imported oil) based on today?s petro market pricing. And automotive emissions, including CO2, could be reducedby possibly 50% ... or more! That could easily be as much as a 60% reduction in domestic automotive carbon foot print.
Oh, and that would be a "new" $0.6 TRILLION per year will circulate through the domestic economy ultimately generating about $0.6 TRILLION per year in annual tax revenue (State and Federal).
That $0.8 TRILLION per year fuel cost savings could pay for between 4 and 8 million new jobs for our young people ... as well as those displaced by downsizing and outsourcing ... plus the many people returning to civilian life from the military.
The above data raises another question, how can the EU do in 10 years what the USA has not been able to accomplish in 30 years?
Would these higher mpg vehicles reduce the price of petro fuels? Sadly, probably not! But the number of trips to the "pump" could certainly be reduced and subsequently annual fuel costs!
It is important to understand the strategies and proposals (whether demand side or supply side solutions) from ALL of the candidates for Federal office prior to the election. Then make YOUR "best" choice.