Fuel prices insulation gone?

[FNQCairns]

The Aussie dollar has slowed and the full force of global fuel price increases are upon us again, curious to know if $2 or a little more per litre for unleaded before christmas.

What happens when the Aussie dollar drops again when the US picks back up?

Why is the government improving Brisbane's urban road infrastructure with completions over 4 years in advance of now, who is going to use them?

Who is going to be able to sell a 6m boat in 1 years time?

Who is going to justify the purchase of a 4L engined vehicle to tow the 6m boat.

Who will be spending 30%+ of their after tax income just to travel to work each week.

Where is this all going? never seen anything like it, whats a bloke to do to protect a healthy outdoors lifestyle? Sundays may end up with roads near deserted and boat ramps empty sooner than I ever thought possible..:-/

Thinking before that the interest rate increases were started late now with fuel they may end up totally unnecessary:o.

cheers fnq

[r3volt]

I thought we all earn in excess of 100k/year easily according the government so it all shouldnt be a problem :D ... As a contractor fuel doesnt really concern me as i claim it anyway on tax and ill just have to charge more to do a job.. Just like everything else around us.

We really need a government that will look into the fuel situation before it goes too far, but with labour at the helm now i see them going for the green approach of trying to convince people to use public transport and for those with cars that get slugged the higher prices will have less money to spend as fuel and everything else increases... hence slowing inflation :)

Perhaps we could invade some oil rich country, just like the US does :D

[Donny Boy]

Fuel just hit $2 a litre in NZ today....comparable rate to here is $ 1.52.
It's gunna get a lot uglier b4 long.

[Splash]

Time to get the oars out....

[Jabba_]

Who will be spending 30%+ of their after tax income just to travel to work each week.

cheers fnq
I have just made the change to public transport. Or I should say I was forced...

Working in Brisbane is the pits, and driving from the Goldy makes it even worse... To drive and park (early bird rates) in Brisbane cost now $140 in diesel and $65 for parking... $205 just to go to work,,,, then you have morons that can't drive and crash every friday causing a traffic jams, and it takes 2 hours to get home..... Oh god, I hate Brisbane with a passion. My opinion to fix Brisbane is to cut it from the mainland, tow it to New Zealand and what was Brisbane now becomes a part off Mortan Bay....


Catch the train now. $58 for a weekly, and I can read the paper and have a snooze.... And from time to time I can have a conversation with a crusty drug addict from Logan Lee....

[Scott nthQld]

Maybe the Govt should be removing taxes from fuel altogether, they seem to be slapping extra taxes on everything else, so why not give us all a break?

[SummerTrance]

I hate Brisbane with a passion. My opinion to fix Brisbane is to cut it from the mainland, tow it to New Zealand and what was Brisbane now becomes a part off Mortan Bay....


I have an answer for you. Leave you well paying job in brisbane, and go get a job in plastic town closer to home.

[seabug]

I have an answer for you. Leave you well paying job in brisbane, and go get a job in plastic town closer to home.

Hi SummerTrance.
I find your post interesting.

Whenever we travel to Melbourne we see thousands of people driving to Melbourne to work
And at the same time there are thousands of Melbournians travelling to Geelong.

I have been wondering if it would work if there was an organised JOB EXCHANGE where people could swap jobs to save travelling .

Sure it would not suit everyone,people may want to stay with mates ETC.

But it would save 2 hrs travel a day and a lot of expences,perhaps even saving the need for a second vehicle.

So,would it Work?

Regards
seabug

[Jabba_]

I have an answer for you. Leave you well paying job in brisbane, and go get a job in plastic town closer to home.
Problem is I am a contract carpenter, and I go were the work is, and for the moment it is in Brisbane......

[r3volt]

Atleast working in the city you can leave your tools on the job. Its hard for me to find a train/bus that will tow my trailer from job to job :\

If we towed Brisbane to NZ some idiot in government here would try and build a bridge/tunnel to it so its prob not a good idea

[Splash]

What have we become......?

I used to be one of those fools driving to and beyond Geelong (from Melbourne) each day for 7 months in 2006/7. Besides risking my life on numerous occasions and pouring petrol into a bottomless pit, I hated it with a passion! Never again!

Now, I spend 10 mins driving to work - not one set of traffic lights, no peak hour with the added bonus of smiling at the locals who go walkabout in bear feet each morning :-)

Enjoy Brisbane :-)

Splash

[Hornet Rider]

I have just made the change to public transport. Or I should say I was forced...

Working in Brisbane is the pits, and driving from the Goldy makes it even worse... To drive and park (early bird rates) in Brisbane cost now $140 in diesel and $65 for parking... $205 just to go to work,,,, then you have morons that can't drive and crash every friday causing a traffic jams, and it takes 2 hours to get home..... Oh god, I hate Brisbane with a passion. My opinion to fix Brisbane is to cut it from the mainland, tow it to New Zealand and what was Brisbane now becomes a part off Mortan Bay....


Catch the train now. $58 for a weekly, and I can read the paper and have a snooze.... And from time to time I can have a conversation with a crusty drug addict from Logan Lee....

jabba, you're just joking aren't you bloke? I hate Brisbane with a passion. You didn't really mean that, did you? Tell you what, next time you got some spare time come with me to Baghdad, Kandahar or Kabul - you'll love Brissy after that.

[Splash]

jabba, you're just joking aren't you bloke? I hate Brisbane with a passion. You didn't really mean that, did you? Tell you what, next time you got some spare time come with me to Baghdad, Kandahar or Kabul - you'll love Brissy after that.

I'm sure the cost of petrol in Baghdad is just a little cheaper.... :o

SPlash

[Hornet Rider]

I'm sure the cost of petrol in Baghdad is just a little cheaper.... :o

SPlash

Hey Splash, you'd think so mate wouldn't you, with all that crude in the ground but guess what, benzine as the locals call it is in very short supply, so much so they kill each other for it. There are organised gangs of hoods, with AK, RGPs & anything else they can get their hands on, out every day & night knocking fuel off from where ever they can find it. Same in Afghanistan. Price is sky high. Go figure.

[seabug]

Hey Splash, you'd think so mate wouldn't you, with all that crude in the ground but guess what, benzine as the locals call it is in very short supply, so much so they kill each other for it. There are organised gangs of hoods, with AK, RGPs & anything else they can get their hands on, out every day & night knocking fuel off from where ever they can find it. Same in Afghanistan. Price is sky high. Go figure.

Hi Hornet Rider,
Sometimes it is hard to get a handle on what is really happening in Iraq.

Is this
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/968453.html
A reasonable accessment of how things are going?

Regards
seabug

[Hornet Rider]

seabug, that is a particularly well researched & balanced article, written by someone with a very accurate & broad optic of the past 5 years to current. They've omitted reference to the links between the PM Maliki & Muqada al Sadr, the leader of JAM (Jaish al Mahdi) which is a significant influence on future direction between Iran & Iraq, & also the inability of Sunni, Shia & Kurd leaders (not the people at the coal face) to work together for the greater good, a notion not part of the Arab culture.

[fishing111]

Yanks get there fuel for $3.59 a gallon, which means they are paying under a dollar a litre. Our dollar is nearly as strong as there's is, so how come we are paying shit loads more???

[FNQCairns]

Yanks get there fuel for $3.59 a gallon, which means they are paying under a dollar a litre. Our dollar is nearly as strong as there's is, so how come we are paying shit loads more???

Because we live further away from Santa!? :D

Think we are an easy mark, history says we can pay above the true global value for any goods and we will still come back to purchase more.

cheers fnq

[Outsider1]

Because we live further away from Santa!? :D

Think we are an easy mark, history says we can pay above the true global value for any goods and we will still come back to purchase more.

cheers fnq

a news report on one of the free to air channels last night said Australian fuel prices were the 4th lowest of all developed nations!!??.

Cheers

Dave

[honda900]

Did anyone notice that we have been primed by the oil companies and media for some months about this.

"Australian prices will rise to bring Australia in line with overseas markets" and " oil reserves are down and we are now having to look for alternative methods of energy"

Propaganda is what I say, Oil producers and companies trying to squeeze every last cent out of us, while they still can. As for reserves the greenies would have us believe that we are running on empty, this is not really the case.

Regards
Honda

[FNQCairns]

a news report on one of the free to air channels last night said Australian fuel prices were the 4th lowest of all developed nations!!??.

Cheers

Dave

Yeah I heard that also, but suspect we would be the highest when it was related to a per individual/income/cost of living/quality of life form of comparison, same every other essential commodity sold here.

Sometimes we are compared against european prices although that comparison is against a continent where the per capita useage is greatly lower due to the smaller trips made, we make (I think) very long hauls in an international sense just to survive domestically.

cheers fnq

[Guido]

I read an interesting web site yesterday. I'm no hippy or environmentalist. Just an average joe. It really opened my eyes to what could happen in my generation (25yrs old)...

www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net (http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net)

I'm no expert on the issue (probably the least educated on it on this forum!) but their opinions and arguments certainly seemed plausable. Put simply, the world is staring down the barrell of a crisis due to skyrocketing usage of oil, and the lack of finding new reserves. There is no way of avoiding it apparently... because everything we do/touch/see these days somehow has been influenced by oil. At the end of the day, we will be living off the land. They say "Prepare yourselves to soften the fall".....

What's everyones thoughts?

[FNQCairns]

I read an interesting web site yesterday. I'm no hippy or environmentalist. Just an average joe. It really opened my eyes to what could happen in my generation (25yrs old)...

www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net (http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net)

I'm no expert on the issue (probably the least educated on it on this forum!) but their opinions and arguments certainly seemed plausable. Put simply, the world is staring down the barrell of a crisis due to skyrocketing usage of oil, and the lack of finding new reserves. There is no way of avoiding it apparently... because everything we do/touch/see these days somehow has been influenced by oil. At the end of the day, we will be living off the land. They say "Prepare yourselves to soften the fall".....

What's everyones thoughts?

I agree changes are coming that will cut righ through us like nothing we have seen before.

if I were producing oil in my backyard I would give my eye teeth for a market that returned to me the same profit margin when outputing 200L as 2000L, why wouldn't I work hard to create this market position by any means possible.

Lack of oil or not what can I do to prepare that doesn't threaten to sink me first:(:(

cheers fnq

[nigelr]

if I were producing oil in my backyard I would give my eye teeth for a market that returned to me the same profit margin when outputing 200L as 2000L, why wouldn't I work hard to create this market position by any means possible.




Think you are onto something there, FNQ!

Cheers.

[PinHead]

there is no oil shortage..that is just scaremongering.
we may reach peak production levels at some time in the near future.
The current high prices are due to the commodities market..nothing to do with taking the stuff out of the gorund..just the money people sinking some money into oil..wish they would go back to gold or how about funding some sub prime markets.

[Guido]

Oil is a limited resource. Somewhere is the future it will either be depleted or not used any more. Inevitable.

How the world smoothes the transition to exclusively use alternative energy sources is anyones guess...

[fishing111]

Look at what they claim they make ethanol out of, and then there is the compressed air engine, solar, electric... If someone can fiddle around and make a genetically made crop that can grow in lets say the middle of Australia that can be turned into ethanol then we'd be on a winner:D



GM invests in 'trash to ethanol' start-up

By Martin LaMonica (martin.lamonica@cnet.com?subject=FEEDBACK: GM invests in 'trash to ethanol' start-up)
Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: January 13, 2008 10:01 AM PST






General Motors is investing in biofuels start-up Coskata in a bid to speed the flow of ethanol for GM's flex-fuel vehicles.
At the North American International Auto Show (http://www.naias.com/) in Detroit on Sunday, GM is scheduled to announce a partnership with Coskata (http://www.coskata.com/), a year-and-a-half-old company with technology for turning wood chips, grasses, or municipal waste into ethanol.
It's one of several biofuels partnerships GM plans to forge to promote E85, a blend of ethanol and gasoline that powers flex-fuel cars.
GM said it invested in Coskata, initially backed by high-profile venture capitalist Vinod Khosla (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9811702-54.html), because its technology promises to deliver ethanol from non-food sources faster than others.
Coskata claims it can deliver ethanol at under $1 per gallon--cheaper than current prices. It intends to construct a 40,000-gallon-per-year facility near a GM test track by the end of the year and to have a full-scale 100 million-gallon-per-year plant by 2011.
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ne/p/2007/autoshow08_170x110.jpg (http://news.cnet.com/2300-13833_3-6225801-1.html)
"We are not going into the fuel business," said Mary Beth Stanek, GM's director of environment, energy policy, and commercialization. "But let's be clear: we want consumers to have access to biofuels that are affordable and (that) lower greenhouse gases. That is in our interest." GM did not disclose the amount of the investment.
The auto giant has committed to doubling its flex-fuel vehicle output to 80,000 cars by 2010, and to making half of its new cars flex-fuel-capable by 2012.
But the limited availability of E85 poses a problem. There are only about 1,400 ethanol filling stations in the U.S., mainly in the Midwest, which is far too few for GM's flex-fuel ambitions.
During a press briefing (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9846132-54.html) at the Consumer Electronics Show last week, GM CEO Rick Wagoner called for a tenfold increase in the number of ethanol pumps.
"It has been remarkably difficult" to get E85 pumps installed, he said, adding that GM is "doing more work than I thought we would need to."
"Greener" forms of transportation are expected to be one of the main themes of the auto show, a response to higher gas prices and growing environmental concerns.
Ford plans to show off a concept car with the EcoBoost (http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=27455), an energy-efficient turbo-charged engine that the company will start putting into sedans in 2009. Global Electric Motorcars, a Chrysler company, will showcase its latest low-speed electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, Fisker Automotive (http://www.fiskerautomotive.com/) has chosen the conference to officially launch its high-end plug-in hybrid sports sedan (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9808423-48.html), which will be able to go 50 miles on its battery and 620 miles on fuel. It hopes to bring its $80,000 sedan out in 2009.
GM is investing in several technologies. At the show, it is expected to show the hybrid Saturn Vue and its hybrid Cadillac concept, Provoq (http://news.cnet.com/GM-unveils-eco-friendly-concept-Cadillac/2100-11389_3-6225257.html), which can run on hydrogen.
But flex-fuel cars are one area where GM, along with Ford and Chrysler, has staked out an early lead, even though the technical barriers are relatively low.
"GM has a competitive advantage in this sector. They've been pushing harder, faster, and longer internally," said Nathanael Greene, a biofuels policy analyst at environmental advocacy group National Resources Defense Council.
Greene said the investment in Coskata appears to be a stepped-up commitment to biofuels, whereas the company's previous efforts, publicized in its "Live Green, Go Yellow" advertising campaign, had an air of greenwashing (http://news.cnet.com/When-corporate-greening-chafes-environmentalists/2100-11746_3-6171445.html).

Nearly all ethanol today is made from corn or sugar cane. Ethanol advocates say that cellulosic ethanol (http://news.cnet.com/Cellulosic-ethanol-A-fuel-for-the-future/2100-11392_3-6202328.html), made from wood chips, grasses, agricultural residue, and other wastes, is more environmentally sound and doesn't compete with food sources. The Department of Energy is funding about 20 cellulosic ethanol trials, and the recently passed energy bill (http://news.cnet.com/FAQ-New-Energy-Act-gets-green-light/2100-13836_3-6223567.html) mandates that by 2022, 20 billion out of 36 billion gallons a year of biofuels come from non-corn feedstocks.
Rather than use specially designed enzymes for fermentation, Coskata uses naturally occurring micro-organisms it licensed from the University of Oklahoma to make ethanol.
GM's investment is part of a second round of funding, which was originally backed by venture firms Khosla Ventures, Advanced Technology Ventures, and GreatPoint Ventures (http://news.cnet.com/To-clean-coal,-start-up-GreatPoint-makes-gas/2100-11392_3-6204422.html).
Its process starts by putting carbon-based materials into a gasification chamber where heat and pressure turn feedstock into syngas, a combination of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
That gas combination is then scrubbed to remove particulates and then moved into a bio-fermentation vessel where micro-organisms metabolize the syngas and turn it into ethanol.
Its process is flexible enough to work with a range of renewable sources, including grasses, wood chips, and even old tires. The company says its bioreactor uses plastic tubes, rather than dropping the entire mixture into a single tank, to maximize exposure to the microbes, a design which keeps overall costs down.
"Our calculations indicate that for virtually any carbon-containing feedstock handled in large bulk, we will be able to convert it without subsidies at under a dollar a gallon," said Coskata President and CEO Bill Roe, who added that current processes are about twice as expensive. "We believe that's what's going to drive consumer interest."
Coskata has a water-recovery step that allows it to use less than 1 gallon of water for each gallon of ethanol produced. That compares to 3 to 5 gallons of water per gallon of corn-based ethanol.
Roe said that Argonne National Laboratories measured the "energy balance" of its process and found that it can produce 7.7 times as much energy in the end product as it takes to make it. Its fuel produces 84 percent less carbon dioxide than gasoline, when measured from production to use.
Those numbers compare favorably to switchgrass (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9845030-54.html), an experimental ethanol source. A recent multi-year study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that switchgrass contains five times the energy required to grow it and produces 94 percent less greenhouse gases.
Coskata, named after a nature preserve near Nantucket, Mass., is one of several racing to bring cellulosic ethanol to market cost-effectively.
"It really points to the potential for this family of technology to be large-scale and really environmentally beneficial," said the NRDC's Greene. "There's a much higher probability of success through this shot gun approach."

[stingau]

Not only do I own a boat but also a reasonable share portfolio. Earlier this week I was at a Company AGM and was talking to a stockbroker from one of the leading global playes in the market.

The accepted consenus whithin their company is that by the end of the year oil will hit in excess of $2.00 a lt resulting in a bowser price of approx $2.50 a lt.

As far as NZ petrol prices go no doubt I will feel it when I go over for my annual ski holiday. For some stupid reason we have decided to go to the south island and ski 2 separates fields with a shitload of 4x4 snow chain driving in between.

I can see the landcruisers fuel guage sinking as we speak.

Also gone will be the days when most people decide at the last minute to chuck the boat in the water for a quick trip to tangalooma for lunch. It wil soon be a major budget planning exercise for most people.

SEMPER UBI SUB UBI

[TJ Bear]

Interestingly the fast growing markets in the boat industry is dedicated fishing kayaks and boats that retail for over 2 million dollars. The gap between the haves and hav nots is getting wider and wider.

[Splash]

I was watching Austar last night. CNN was interviewing a CEO of a major oil producer. He claimed there is no oil shortage at all. He goes on to say that the only reason why oil is increasing is because money markets (CBOT) are manipulating oil price BIG TIME.

THE WHOLE WORLD HAS GONE MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Splash

[johnny roger]

What have we become......?

I used to be one of those fools driving to and beyond Geelong (from Melbourne) each day for 7 months in 2006/7. Besides risking my life on numerous occasions and pouring petrol into a bottomless pit, I hated it with a passion! Never again!

Now, I spend 10 mins driving to work - not one set of traffic lights, no peak hour with the added bonus of smiling at the locals who go walkabout in bear feet each morning :-)

Enjoy Brisbane :-)

Splash
gday splash,
what lucky part of the world are you in to enjoy such niceties?
John

[Splash]

Hi John -

Luv your avartar!

I live in Gove, Arhnem Land. It rains here which is great!

We pay $1.90 / L in petrol BTW...

SPlash

[black runner]

Vehicle manufacturers need to look at producing torquey lower power/lower geared but still heavy duty SUV's/commercials that don't perform like sports cars. Those of us that tow will need to be satisfied with less performance for better fuel economy.

The other weekend I hired a Toyota 25 seater bus to transport two teams of neballers. It was a 4.1L diesel and weighed about 5 tonnes gvm. We did 400km @ 15l/100k (took 60l to fill)- thats only 2 litres more per 100km than the Rodeo ute I drive and that's not towing anything. The bus cruised easily at 90-100kph but naturally lost it on the hills.

Driving habits can also make a huge difference to fuel consumption. I did a test the other day in the Rodeo. Drove 225 km (highway run) at about 115kph and did about 13l/100k came back at just under 100kph and ran just over 10l/100k ( and maybe even better at 80k). Thats 13.5l less over 450 km or $20 back in my pocket by dropping 15-20kph.

I now car pool to work. Taking your car one week in three or four makes a huge difference.

I think there are heaps of ways we can compensate for the increase in fuel cost by adjusting our lifestyles but I think few of us actually do it because it does mean some inconvenience.

Just a few of my thoughts

[Jimbo00]

Suggest to your local federal member that we scrap import parity pricing. That allows companies to charge international prices, regardless of mining/processing costs. Bet the latter have not increased too much lately but I the companies' margins have.
If you live out of the capital cities, ask your local member what is the benefit of the government's FuelWatch program, if it ever eventuates, to regional/country residents.
Ask your local member why diesel prices have changed from being less than unleaded to up to 25 cents per litre more expensive, especially as diesel is cheaper to process. Ask him/her why the government's fuel commissioner has not been able to determine that the companies are ripping off diesel users.

[black runner]

You're right about the diesel, any benefit in reduced consumption is blown away by the higher cost (reduced emmissions aside that is)

[Outsider1]

Yes,

some worthy questions there Jimbo. Making our pollies squirm should be a high priority at present.

However, I can't see them dropping excise or import price parity, because there is a bigger spectre on the horizon and that is the additional tax levies they will have to apply to meet our Greenhouse targets!!

Cheers

Dave

[johnny roger]

a news report on one of the free to air channels last night said Australian fuel prices were the 4th lowest of all developed nations!!??.

Cheers

Dave

Dave,
Yeah i think the UK is one of the highest. last i heard, they are paying $2 a liter.
John

[johnny roger]

Hi John -

Luv your avartar!

I live in Gove, Arhnem Land. It rains here which is great!

We pay $1.90 / L in petrol BTW...

SPlash
Hey splash you lucky bugger. Livinging in Gove that is. not paying 1.90 for fuel.
John

[TimiBoy]

I've been doing the maths on a new 200 series Cruiser. At $13K more for the diesel option, and 20,000 km's a year, using Toyota's fuel usage stats (they will be wrong, but at least comparable to each other), and using current fuel pricing, it will take roughly 30 years for the diesel to pay for itself.

Given the pointlessness of buying a diesel from the financial side, which I suspect is an issue for all diesel cars, why would you buy one?

The demand for diesel is over the top (so they say) so the price differential is likely to widen vs petrol, making the trade-off even less attractive.

Modern diesels are clean, and use so little fuel, but they are pricing themselves out of the market.

The one still unanswered question for me relates to power output. Given that I tow 3 tonnes, the torgue of the diesel (650 Nm) sh!ts all over the petrol at 430. But I suspect that the petrol torgue is well and truly enough. BUT what will be the consumption when towing?

Does anyone have a 200 series petrol model and tow with it? Would love to read some comments.

[TimiBoy]

Heard yesterday it's $2.40 in the UK, and $2.60-70 in many other European countries. We're off to Germany for Christmas, looks like we'll be walking!!!

My wife's cousins came over from Germany in 1998. Berndt (the hubby) saw an XE falcon, and cried out "Ford Granada, 2 litre diesel!"

After some discussion, I discovered the Granada was considered the most gutless car in the (known) Universe. They were paying $1.40 a litre at the time, we were at about 85 cents (unleaded prices, didn't follow diesel at the time).

That was in Tasmania - I only lived there for a couple of years, not born there. Just thought I'd... clear that up:P

[Jabba_]

I've been doing the maths on a new 200 series Cruiser. At $13K more for the diesel option, and 20,000 km's a year, using Toyota's fuel usage stats (they will be wrong, but at least comparable to each other), and using current fuel pricing, it will take roughly 30 years for the diesel to pay for itself.

Given the pointlessness of buying a diesel from the financial side, which I suspect is an issue for all diesel cars, why would you buy one?

The demand for diesel is over the top (so they say) so the price differential is likely to widen vs petrol, making the trade-off even less attractive.

Modern diesels are clean, and use so little fuel, but they are pricing themselves out of the market.

The one still unanswered question for me relates to power output. Given that I tow 3 tonnes, the torgue of the diesel (650 Nm) sh!ts all over the petrol at 430. But I suspect that the petrol torgue is well and truly enough. BUT what will be the consumption when towing?

Does anyone have a 200 series petrol model and tow with it? Would love to read some comments.
The only reason you would go diesel these days is if your towing... I read a magazine article that tested 30 different 4x4's and in both diesel and petrol variants for the purpose off towing...... What they did is set out a 500km route add tested every vehicle with and without towing a medium sized camper trailer....

It resulted in the diesel using 30% less fuel then it's petrol counter part while it they weren't towing. (9-11lt/100km diesel - 13-16lt/100km petrol)... But 15% of the diesel advantage is lost because diesel is 15% more expensive then petrol
Then once the trailer was hooked up the economy went down to 20-21lt/100, diesel and 26-27lt/100km petrol... again, a 30% spread between diesel and petrol, but both engines used 100% more fuel while towing........

And if I recall correctly, the V8 diesel Chrysler was rated the best tow vehicle and use the least fuel....

[NAGG]

Diesel was at $1.829 in Sydney yesterday:( My fuel bill to typically fill my Prado is over $290 ( 160ish litres)

I feel sick!

Nagg

[Jimbo00]

Well NAGG, what are we Ausfishers going to do about it? Put pressure on politicians. Tell them to revoke oil company export permits until they show some good honest and transparent pricing. If we do nothing pollies surely won't do anything. After all they have their taxpayer funded cars and fuel so they feel no pain at all - until we start pressuring them.

[benjy]

The only reason you would go diesel these days is if your towing...

or if you are making it yourself

[Fatenhappy]

Unfortunately had to go down to Sydney recently because of a close family bereavement.

I as much as anyone else have been bitching about the price of fuel here north of the boarder and no I can't see any sense in any of it either, especially regards diesel pricing and the like.

So on my way back to hand the hire car in on the Friday morning 19th May. Whilst heading back to Mascot from over the north side, I'm driving down through Pittwater and up through Mosman and there was a garage there at $1.66/litre.

Bearing in mind the average at that time on the northern side of Sydney was around the $1.50/litre. Amazed at driving down the same road a little bit before and there were 2 servos opposite each other with a price diference just prior to that at of 10c per litre. Got back here to Brissy that afternoon $1.35/litre. Then guess what only days later it was past $1.50 per litre here as well and that is supposedly with the 10 c per litre Qld government subsidy.

I was in Oman in the Middle East for 6 years where the price of unleaded, premium and diesel never moved one iota. Back in Oz all over the place for all that time.

When you boil it down, as well as the middle man it must also come back I would suppose to the greed of the OPEC cartel as they are the driving force.

[Reel Nauti]

I can't remember what it is called, but there is a universally used term for the oil quantity when we have used one half of the world's known reserves. The world is not anywhere near that point yet. I remember 30 years ago there was an ad on TV that pictured a foot on a car accelerator. The ad went "Go easy on Australia's fuel, we're running out". What an absolute load of crap!

Fuel hikes in Australia are a Godsend for any federal govt. We pay an exhorbidant excise tax, and on top of that a 10% GST. Yes, we're taxed twice on the same commodity! Just the same as alcohol. If the federal govt, from whichever persuasion, was serious about easing the burden on Australian fuel consumers, they would reduce and cap the excise tax, and the GST. They haven't and they won't. And while they shake their heads in condescending sympathy for the aussie motorist, it is they who are all the while filling the govt coffers with the ongoing windfall of escalating oil prices.

Dave

[Jabba_]

Actualy Nauti were taxed 3 times when we go to the bowser.... You forgot pay roll tax........

Does anyone know why Australia is not pumping oil out of the desert... I thought there was suppose to be a heap off black gold in central Aust...

[Jabba_]

or if you are making it yourself
That too.... Been looking into it quiet a lot.....

[Alchemy]

I saw a snippet on the Sunrise show a few days ago. A viewer from Groote Eylandt had sent in a picture of the local servos price board. The price for fuel was $1.03 per litre. The explanation for such a cheap price was that Gemco had an arrangement with its employees to sell them fuel for no more than 3 cents a litre above their (Gemco's) purchase price. I assume that somewhere in this price is the fuel excise, GST etc?

Does anyone know if this story was accurate? If so I'm wondering who's pocketing the difference for the price we are paying?

Dave.

[fishing111]

Yeah I heard that too, sickening if true!!!

[FNQCairns]

I saw a snippet on the Sunrise show a few days ago. A viewer from Groote Eylandt had sent in a picture of the local servos price board. The price for fuel was $1.03 per litre. The explanation for such a cheap price was that Gemco had an arrangement with its employees to sell them fuel for no more than 3 cents a litre above their (Gemco's) purchase price. I assume that somewhere in this price is the fuel excise, GST etc?

Does anyone know if this story was accurate? If so I'm wondering who's pocketing the difference for the price we are paying?

Dave.

Well there you go! Commerce so easily cons us consumers, I was told the price a bloke I know who owned an independent servo was buying his fuel and I couldn't believe it at the time, it was around 50% of the bowser price.

BTW does anyone know where a bloke can buy a wholesale barrel cartel oil? My diesel will run on it and once cut probably a dam side cheaper than buying from a pump:):)

cheers fnq

[TimiBoy]

Oh come on Guys, we're not paying a tax on a tax. It's a tax on an Excise, don't you know that's different???

God I hate politicians. I really, really, really hate all of them. Well, nearly all of them. I can't hate the ones I don't know of.

And now the tax review will look at taking GST off the Excise. How nice. What a 2.5 % decrease in price? Oh, thanks, that'll help the family budget....

Wait until they do it, it'll be sold on the premise that they have put say $3 back in your pocket per week, and pat themselves on the back. And the worst part is that the Party faithful (from whatever side finally does it) will say, "How good of them, I'm so proud I voted L?"

I must be premenstrual!