Erik, like you I certainly won't buy a daily driver until fuel efficiency improves. Just driving to SPOC and back costs me something like $12, and I'm only 25 minutes away. Weekly commuting amounts to $22 (thanks to working 4-ten hour days, I eliminate one day's commute weekly, as well as driving during off-peak times), errands can increase that by 50%. My Mazda is insured as a recreational vehicle and not driven daily, so mileage isn't as much of an issue with that one. But I'm told that my family's monthly gasoline expenses, about $150-$160 includng my wife's car, is actually less than half that of the typical Utah family with children and two working adults. We've actively planned our lives around living close to our employers, our children's schools, and the retailers we shop at. Not everyone can. The sad part is, the day may come when I'm forced to adopt the "ultra-light", minimalist truss-tube telescope design I've eschewed for decades, if I want it to fit in the car I'll be driving in retirement. Certainly the automotive industry needs to change fundamentally. Either pure electric or hydrogen. Yes, I know all about the caveats of a hydrogen ecconomy, and it's not my intention to debate that here. My point is just that the days of fossil fuel for personal vehicles are numbered. On Feb 11, 2008 3:24 PM, <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
One thing is for sure I will not buy a new car until fuel efficiency improves greatly.