We will always need a lot of oil because almost everything we use is based on a petroleum byproduct.
Your computer keyboard, the case your computer is in, the internal parts, the plastic cell phone, your fountain pen, your closes, other than wool, Cotton and silk,etc.
Play a little game. Don't move from your chair and look around your room and count all of the the things you see that are some form of petroleum based product.
Even if our use for fuel drops, production of all of those items will grow unless we go into a barn burning depression.
“We will always need a lot of oil because almost everything we use is based on a petroleum byproduct.”
I have seen figures that say only about 45% of our oil usage is for energy. The rest is for all of the products that are made from petroleum. Petroleum is a raw material for the chemical industry. Also for the pharmaceutical industry. etc etc etc.
American ingenuity may have come up with a solution to that problem too. I make no claims as to the veracity of this info, but you will see that this company has partnered with P&G to develop the technology further. There may be something to it.
The amount of oil in those products is tiny compared to the amount burned for transportation.
You’re right that the use of crude oil won’t go down due to other needs for it. But I see theissue of propane of NG powered vehicles as legitimate. If the need for crude doesn’t decrease, we can reduce the increase in need. I see this as something large cities and organized fleets may do, if there’s a cost benefit. It’s impractical for you and I to drive a propane or NG powered vehicle - not so much for a city fleet, USPS, Utility, etc.
Perhaps if these users create a demand, then filling stations will get built to fill the demand. If so, then we might see this become practical for the consumer.