If we are to accept gas prices at five dollars per gallon than why do car speedometers still read 0 to 120.?

Americans have had a love for speed ever since the days of the Mustang and the Cameo.

Then the trend for speed moved to the trend for bigger cars, and some people felt “safer” in SUVs. Along the way our engines have still become lighter and more efficient. But, instead of using that power to make a gas sipping car we have been using that power to haul more weight with bigger cars and of course we don’t want to give up on our love for speed.

Meanwhile the demand for gasoline is growing. The supply is shrinking, but nowhere enough to cause $5.00 a gallon gas. We will probably reach $5.00 a gallon gasoline though because of an increasing climate of fear and fear mongering.

Cars have a speedometer that reaches 120 to prove that they have that power and capability. Even though 99% of the time it is illegal all that power, and can you imagine the amount of power and fuel required to get an SUV running at over 100 mph?!? If you notice the Detroit specifications are usually 0-50 in so many seconds or 0-60 in so many seconds. There really is no need to go any faster, but the power to go that fast can also be used to pull the huge weight of a Ford Explorer, a Ford Expedition and late an Excursion. We could be using that power to make more efficient if slower vehicles. We could be using that power for better gas economy, but instead we are using it haul more weight.

The trend is changing, but it took gas at $4.00 to start that and it will take gas at $5.00 to really make a difference in American’s need for speed. The last time we had an oil crunch it was caused by OPEC showing their muscles and it caused rationing and imposed the 55 mph speed limit. Despite the fact that it was proven to save lives, and require less gas most people ignored the 55 speed limit. States started to respond so the federal government threatened to cut of federal highway funding; but even that didn’t work.

The only way to do it is to hit them in the pocket book and hit them hard. Which is great to end our dependence on fossil fuels, but horrible in that we are spending all that money on companies that sell those fossil fuels and don’t want things to change.

There is very little funding for alternative vehicles and for a long time they were an oddity only used by real forward thinking people; who most called crackpots.

The war in Iraq was meant to depose a hostile dictator, make the world safer and secure our fuel supplies. Instead it took out the one guy who could control his country and prevent a civil war, it has increased terrorism, emboldened Iraq and made the world more dangerous, and more importantly it is the primary reason for this gasoline crisis.

Actually the fuel crisis would have come on us in $20 year anyway as the increasing appetite of India and China and the dwindling reserves would cause a crisis. The current problems are only a foretelling of the future.

So what to do; 55 mph speed limits won’t work. Weaning Americans off of SUVs will work. Hybrids are more concept than reality, but they are on the right road and when the battery technology improves and becomes cheaper hybrids will become more of a gas saving idea.

Meanwhile the only totally electric car in the US is the Tesla and it is being sold as a new roadster with speed as its main selling point.

It is possible to FORCE people to slow down by installing governors that prevent speeds over 60 mph, the M1 tank has one, but one of the first things most troops do is disable the governor. Installing governors would only create an illegal aftermarket governor disabling program.

Japan saw $5.00 a gallon gas a long time ago, and for most of Europe those where the good old days as well. They are used to the higher price and the need for greater efficiency. Japan has cut its dependence on oil to 10% of its total energy requirements. Remember, the main reason Japan entered WW2 was to get resources it didn’t have; like oil.

Price of gas is going to force Americans to favor economy over power and eventually our cars will become more fuel efficient. If Detroit wakes up and realizes that the best way to sell more cars is make those that can use much less gas. They are far behind the learning curve though and only this month have decided to slow down the manufacturing of SUVs. It hasn’t stopped them from selling them and advertising them though; in a market where most Americans would prefer a more economical car. The Chevy Volt is the right idea and it is usually on back order, from the dealer, by at least a year; but you can find it on eBay if you are willing to pay 25% more.

Eventually the fossil fuels are going to run out, we have been draining swamps and wetlands where they were originally created so we have made sure that our ancestors won’t have new supplies. Meanwhile India has just come out with a new car that is cheap and a gas guzzler, China was a nation of bicycles and is busy replacing them with cars, so the demand will only increase.

The only way we are going to start conserving energy is when it is forced on us, which is starting to happen. Germany is steadily converting to solar power, France is going nuclear and the rest of Europe (except the Netherlands who have their own oil reserves; Shell oil) is working on becoming independent of fossil fuels. The US has the world’s largest supply of coal so don’t expect us to change from fossil fuels anytime fast. We will do it, but we will do it while kicking and screaming.