Also, 11% fewer people driving to work.
Also, 11% fewer people driving to work.
That’s just staggering!!
It’s ‘real’ data too. Not something that has been statistically ‘whitewashed’ by .gov bureaucrats.
Very interesting, and maybe a harbinger for economic disaster indeed. However, I would suspect that July driving is ALWAYS much higher than November in normal times. Vacations, more later in the day activites, etc.
However, something to look at for sure.
Must be all those Chevy Volts on the road!/
The past few months have been even more grim than usual for the immediate pre- and post-Christmas period for some contractors of my acquaintance. Roofers are still getting work, but calls for discretionary projects like new flooring and interior painting are way down.
Demand curves are rarely linear. They can have ceilings and floors representing the demand where price is zero or arbitrarily high.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Interesting. Gasoline consumption has dropped off the charts as has dry shipping. All this seems in direct opposition to government/media reports.
Because we’re all driving our new Volts? /sarc
$3.55/gal
Why is price currently going up, diesel fuel will hit $4.50 a gal by mid march.
Uh, will this be on the test?
But seriously...gas now approaching $4 again despite the deplorable economy. One shudders to think what the price would be with any economic growth to speak of.
I’m not rooting for $5 gas but it would demonstrate the absolute insanity and inaction of Obama’s Middle East policies. We have been waiting decades for some of these oil-rich strongmen to be deposed and their own people have done the job for us. Do we attempt to foster a new era of relations (at best) or install puppets (at worst)? No, we allow more bloodthirsty savages to institute mob rule under real theocracies, not the kind liberals claim exists in the US. In short, the demand figures mask an even longer-term problem in terms of geopolitics.
not as many going to work, oh wait the unemployment is down, ARF, yes and millions have dropped out of the work force, been forced into early retirement , etc
Gas was less then $2 when Bush left now it is nearly 3 and a half or over but the MSM does not seem to want to think a that as news worthy but did when BUSH WAS IN
One thing we know, the effect of newer high mileage cars is small because the AVERAGE car on the road now in the US is 10.8 years old, an all time high.
I’ve been watching the fuel consumption stats with great interest since Tim Wallace started sending in charts to Shedlock a couple months ago.
If this means what I think it does, Baraq is a guaranteed loser come Nov 2012.
The economy just can’t handle $100 oil and $4/gal fuel.
$50-70 is where the economy can recover while still allowing oil development.
But you don’t see the cost of gasoline and diesel in this country dropping to a level on par with the drop in demand.
Another reason: My family bought a 2009 Hyundai Accent (dinky little econobox) to replace our full-sized Chevy conversion van in long-distance driving. The conversion van was consigned to in-town service; the savings in fuel costs pays the car payment.
Here’s how I decreased my gas consumption. We have two drivers (wife and I) and three vehicles, They are:
2010 Ford Focus
2007 Nissan Titan
1969 VW Beetle
The Titan sits in the driveway. Wife drives the Focus, uses about 9 - 10 gallons a week. I drive the VW, use about 5 - 7 gallons a week. If I drove the truck, I would burn between 12 - 15 gallons a week.
So now the truck is used only when a truck is needed, and I suffer the wonderful anemic engine smelling lack of heat of a classic air cooled Volkswagen.
Is gasoline consumption really tanking or, is this just another case of “funny numbers” from the government?
After all, its easy to reach 8.3% unemployment if over 1,000,000 people are dumped from the workforce in one month.
We know when gasoline hit $4/gal they won't readily pay it; and they slowed down the consumption. Been there done that.
So somewhere between $3 and $4/gal is the right sweet spot for gouging.
However Americans cut back driving at $4/gal when the economy was fairly good.
The economy is not good now so anything over $3/gallon is going to see a pullback in gasoline consumption.
If gasoline goes up to $4/gallon it will further criple the weaker economy.
If it were ever to reach $5/gal as some predict, we would end up in a depression. - Tom