Higher, Higher, Higher Oil Prices?

gringosabroso

New member
Oct 16, 2004
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Two modest proposals, to the Dominican Government:
1. at least 50% of all of the vehicles imported after 1oct05 must be diesel powered; ALL VEHICLES - including cars; &
2. At least 60% of all of the vechicles imported after 1oct05 must have standard transmissions, with at least 5 forward speeds; ALL VEHICLES - including cars;
motor vehilce fuel savings; at least 15 - 25%. Why not? Dominicans can learn to drive them! Not too demanding! Counter arguments?
 

AlaninDR

Mr. Chunky Skin
Dec 17, 2002
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Do away with the two stroke motorcycles. Four stroke engines get better economy, are cleaner burning and less noise.
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
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Teach Leonel and the FUNGLODE boys how to use a GLOBEX!
He has some rediculous hedge with Chavez that is not going to cut it here at $64.85.
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
3,563
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Tamborista said:
Teach Leonel and the FUNGLODE boys how to use a GLOBEX!
He has some rediculous hedge with Chavez that is not going to cut it here at $64.85.


There's chatter in the net that Rumsfeld has plans for a September invasion of Venezuela and take over the oil fields, and force oil prices to around $20/barrel. That after he bombs Iran's nuclear facilities.
 

rellosk

Silver
Mar 18, 2002
4,169
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gringosabroso said:
Two modest proposals, to the Dominican Government:
1. at least 50% of all of the vehicles imported after 1oct05 must be diesel powered; ALL VEHICLES - including cars; &
2. At least 60% of all of the vechicles imported after 1oct05 must have standard transmissions, with at least 5 forward speeds; ALL VEHICLES - including cars;
motor vehilce fuel savings; at least 15 - 25%. Why not? Dominicans can learn to drive them! Not too demanding! Counter arguments?
While you're at it, why not at least 50% insist of all of the vehicles imported after 1oct05 must be hybrids?
 

gringosabroso

New member
Oct 16, 2004
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Hybrids!! Waves of the Future? ? ?

I agree with your suggestion, in principle. But, . . . [why is there always a 'but' in life?], hybrids [ie Toyota & Honda] are priced at US $5K - 10K - 15K higher than the same gas models. $15K is for the near huge SUVs, ie Toyota Sequoia. These hybrids are very much in demand in the USA - for obvious reasons - & profitable; assuming a $10K price premium, it takes a lot of gasoline savings to equal US $10K. I think that diesels & standard transmissions are a more realistic, perhaps, interim, solution? 1 American's opinion.
 

frank alvarez

New member
Apr 13, 2004
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Go the Brazilian way.

Brazilians have been blending their fuel with some sugarcane byproduct (I'm sorry about my ignorance on the exact terms for this) for many years and there was some rumbling the DR was going to get into this with Brazil's technical help. This may be a good alternative to alleviate the problem which is not readily visible yet.

Wait until gasoline prices go to 150 pesos per gallon and above and the troublemakers start having 'strikes', burning tires, blocking roads, throwing rocks, etc. The government response will be to send the military into the streets (SOP for decades in these banana republics)!

Things will really get good for tourism here!
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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I think you have the cart before the horse again Gringosabroso. Before you can sell cars with stckdhifts (manual drive) & before you can sell the smaller vehicle which is more economical, you have to EDUCATE the buyer as to why he/she should buy a more economical vehicle.

MUCH more effective would be banning bus drivers & lorry drivers from leaving their engines switched on when NOT in use transporting passengers/products! How often do you see busses sitting at shops the tourists are visiting with their engines still running? If gasoline was an important feature for the Domincan people, why do most CHOOSE a big SUV rather than a smaller SUV (Terios/Suzuki etc)? Gasoline consumption is not YET a serious concern to them - looks & comfort ARE!!

To follow your example of reducing gasoline consumption in the country, maybe the Government ought to ground more of the helicopters that fly around without due cause? Perhaps a law on the size of engine allowed to be imported should be put in force - i.e. max 6 cylinders & 2.500 cc engines? It would be sensible too to reduce the number of planes allowed to land in the country with tourists, this way the country could use the gas saved for the generating stations?

I don't mean to be flipant but as has been proven so many times in the past, EDUCATION of drivers is the first step, CONSERVATION of fuel wasted will be 2nd & comfort & economy of vehicle is 3rd. For those who WISH to have big cars/SUV's, who WISH to waste money by leaving engines running to pollute the area, make Gas US $3.00 or US $4.00 per gallon!! We have an excellent supply of sun & wind here, why not spend the extra money made on selling gas at US $3.00 per gallon to set up wind & solar systems that work?? Any vehicle over 6 cylinders, 2.500 cc engine capacity - slap a 50% increase surcharge on it to pay for solar power investigation!! ~ Grahame.
 

ElPuma

New member
Jun 28, 2005
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the goverment banned cars of more than 5 years for importing, but what the country needs is importing diesel cars even if they are 15 years old for carros publicos!!

its amazing to see those old junk gasoline automatic toyotas doing routes all day.
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
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Hmmmm...let's see...the more gas people consume the more money the government gets from taxes, so why would they encourage any form of conservation. Besides since people are spending their own money on this, who cares. People will start conserving if it becomes an issue for them, but as GWB noted this apparently is not a big issue yet as you see people buying very large SUV's all over the place. Would taxi drivers lower their fares if they drove diesel powered cars? NOT. Right now most of the publicos are powered by subsidized propane, yet they still charge the same price as if they were buying expensive gasoline.