[timzerofive]

Originally Posted by Squawks

What much of you guys fail to realize is that most of today's hydrogen is made by burning up fossil fuels! In fact, even the cost of hydrogen has been going up along with crude oil. Oh, the irony...

Ya, what I said... ^^^

Originally Posted by Squawks

The real short term solution rests in hybrids. Conserving wasted kinetic energy during braking - what a genius idea!

Hybrid is not that good of a solution either. As of right now, they cannot safely dispose of the batteries that are used in these hybrids. Nor can they efficiently recycle them, so right now it is just another source of toxic waste being created.

Originally Posted by sharp1183

I agree. But imagine that. It's 2025, and the latest craze is completely hydrogen-powered cars. Everyone's buying cars that resemble spaceships, and then there's this one dude that's driving an old 1960s muscle car, only it's completely powered by hydrogen (or whatever). Man, that would be awesome!

But I don't know, it doesn't seem very practical (especially right now when all this stuff is practically a pipe dream) but it sure would be cool to have. If I'm a millionaire in 20-30 years from now, and the technology is available, the first thing I'm going to do is have a hydrogen muscle car!

Don't forget the hovercrafts.

[GoRomeo]

I am still glad i got rid of my 4.4 X5 im saving about 30.00 a week. Last time i filled up my tank was 43.00 dlls and it lasted me about 11 days so its ok i guess (for now) i drive about 45 miles 5 days a week. weekends it varies..

[docbolo]

We drive beemers.

Who gives a flying f%$@ what gas costs?

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by docbolo

We drive beemers.

Who gives a flying f%$@ what gas costs?

Who gives a flying f what gas costs?.. ok how bout you fill up my tank also.. i mean its just gas..

[ryanmangos]

while your at it fill mine up too...i just got my bmw...but now im wishing i hadnt sold my civic...i could go on for weeks with 1 tank =( now it feels like i fill up once or twice a week =(...it may not sound much, but considering work is only 10miles away...thats 20 miles a day for work...dont do so much anymore so where does all the gas go

[E36_325i]

I've lived in Kuwait for the past 2 years and the only benefit besides the money was paying .75 cents a gallon for 93 octane. Makes me wonder why we didnt negotiate a deal w/ Iraq to ship cheap oil to the US at least while we were supporting them. It's seems appropriate since we've only spent about 300 billion on them. Just a rant.

I'm not looking forward to $3 a gallon this May when i come home. Especially in the new M.

And it doesnt matter that we drive bimmers. Just because I drive a bimmer doesnt make me rich and not care about spending a shitload of money on fuel.

[donger274]

i stare at my gas meter than glimpes the rpm meter to make sure im not over 2500 rpms and once every 30 seconds i glimpes at the road...

[BMW786]

Originally Posted by ryanmangos

while your at it fill mine up too...i just got my bmw...but now im wishing i hadnt sold my civic...i could go on for weeks with 1 tank =( now it feels like i fill up once or twice a week =(...it may not sound much, but considering work is only 10miles away...thats 20 miles a day for work...dont do so much anymore so where does all the gas go

Do you have the AC on all the time? It uses gas...

[deutschmann59]

Originally Posted by Squawks

What much of you guys fail to realize is that most of today's hydrogen is made by burning up fossil fuels! In fact, even the cost of hydrogen has been going up along with crude oil. Oh, the irony...

Ok, then a water powered car!

[timzerofive]

Originally Posted by sharp1183

Ok, then a water powered car!

Mr. Fusion

[Squawks]

@ tzf regarding hybrids not being environmentally friendly: they use crude oil to make hydrogen today - so are you being more environmentally friendly? Nope. With hybrids, you may burn crude for the batteries but much of the energy comes in from the wasted kinetics of the car. Sure, we would have to toss batteries, but that's what landfills are for - you know how big the battery is? You know how many acres landfills take up. Note that these batteries are projected to last the lifetime of the vehicle (so I'm assuming 7+ years).

But back to topic regarding Exxon gouging us - last year, they reported $36,000,000,000 in profits. That's the greatest profit ever reported in the history of corporations worldwide. The same year where all those hurricanes blasted us and damaged all those refineries.

Lee R. Raymond, chairman of Exxon, got a retirement package of 398 million dollars. Wow. That's pretty crazy, considering JP Morgan had to pay P.J. Purcell 113+ million to quit his job as CEO and even NYSE's Richard Grasso got an exit package of 140 million (that's under Spitzer litigation).

Life is good when you know corporations are going to pay you to quit.

[findtom]

Originally Posted by Squawks

But back to topic regarding Exxon gouging us - last year, they reported $36,000,000,000 in profits. That's the greatest profit ever reported in the history of corporations worldwide. The same year where all those hurricanes blasted us and damaged all those refineries.

Wow, that is insane. Do you know what gross sales were?

[Squawks]

Exxon gross sales: $371 billion (compare that with $298 billion from 2004) - is it funny how their sales went up 25% over the year?

The $36 billion in reported profits is in today's NY Times.

[ryanmangos]

Originally Posted by BMW786

Do you have the AC on all the time? It uses gas...

never have the ac on...just the vent...its not hot enuf yet

i just open windows =\ dunno im trying to figure out where its all going

[SteveMD]

Originally Posted by Squawks

Exxon gross sales: $371 billion (compare that with $298 billion from 2004) - is it funny how their sales went up 25% over the year?

The $36 billion in reported profits is in today's NY Times.

I'm no student of the oil business by any means but according to the above numbers, gross profits then are less than 10%. Probably way less when you calculate net profits.

I run a business and could not survive on a gross of <10%.

Yes, the absolute number of $36B is huge, but it represents less than 10% of gross sales. Wal Mart operates on a 9% gross (at least they did when I was a shareholder). Are we whining at them about profits?

And how can you complain about their sales being 25% higher that the previous year? Are they not suipposed to sell their product? Are they not supposed to try and sell more than last year?

[timzerofive]

Originally Posted by Squawks

@ tzf regarding hybrids not being environmentally friendly: they use crude oil to make hydrogen today - so are you being more environmentally friendly? Nope. With hybrids, you may burn crude for the batteries but much of the energy comes in from the wasted kinetics of the car. Sure, we would have to toss batteries, but that's what landfills are for - you know how big the battery is? You know how many acres landfills take up. Note that these batteries are projected to last the lifetime of the vehicle (so I'm assuming 7+ years).

But back to topic regarding Exxon gouging us - last year, they reported $36,000,000,000 in profits. That's the greatest profit ever reported in the history of corporations worldwide. The same year where all those hurricanes blasted us and damaged all those refineries.

Lee R. Raymond, chairman of Exxon, got a retirement package of 398 million dollars. Wow. That's pretty crazy, considering JP Morgan had to pay P.J. Purcell 113+ million to quit his job as CEO and even NYSE's Richard Grasso got an exit package of 140 million (that's under Spitzer litigation).

Life is good when you know corporations are going to pay you to quit.

I said all these already, haha, read back, including the fact that Exxon is number one is gross and profit.. I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm saying even hybrids are not a viable solution. Right now the battery disposal are not a problem because hybrids are still relatively new and sold in low numbers. Imagine 10 more years from now when more percentage of hybrid vehicles are sold and there's a constant disposing of TOXIC batteries that pollutes the landfill.

As far as surviving on 10% profit... if you sale $10, yes, you probably can't survive on $1 profit. When you're selling $300+ BILLION, yes 10% profit is plenty.

[Squawks]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

And how can you complain about their sales being 25% higher that the previous year? Are they not suipposed to sell their product? Are they not supposed to try and sell more than last year?

I'm not complaining - I find it quite ironic how Exxon is bankrolling in record profits amid tons of natural disasters and political turmoil...especially when considering the simple fact that the oil market is extremely volatile for those same reasons.

[txusa03]

Originally Posted by timzerofive

It's already $3 around here.

same here, supreme/super grade gas (the 9x octane)

[findtom]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

I'm no student of the oil business by any means but according to the above numbers, gross profits then are less than 10%. Probably way less when you calculate net profits.

I run a business and could not survive on a gross of <10%.

Yes, the absolute number of $36B is huge, but it represents less than 10% of gross sales. Wal Mart operates on a 9% gross (at least they did when I was a shareholder). Are we whining at them about profits?

And how can you complain about their sales being 25% higher that the previous year? Are they not suipposed to sell their product? Are they not supposed to try and sell more than last year?

I would assume that is their net profit for that operating period reported to shareholders. Their gross profit is probably higher than 10%. I'm pretty sure that Walmart's gross profit on their merchandise is higher than 9% (i.e. revenue - cost of goods sold).

[ska///235i]

time for this pic again

[paddywac]

Originally Posted by findtom

I would assume that is their net profit for that operating period reported to shareholders. Their gross profit is probably higher than 10%. I'm pretty sure that Walmart's gross profit on their merchandise is higher than 9% (i.e. revenue - cost of goods sold).

by no means is Exxon's performance unique BP announced record profits for the last financial year of $16.2 bn and shell $17.5bn....thats profits not turnover, basically the can't get the black stuff out of the ground quick enough. Half the problem with the high oil prices is scaremongering which I am sure the oil companies do nothing to stop as it pushes the oil price up (conspiracy theory are they involved in this scaremongering).

The US/Coallition policy right or wrong doesn't matter (who presses Bush's buttons is it the Oil Corps) in the middle east does not help the oil price and of course talk of fossil fuels running out really sends the whole thing banannas. There are plent of fossil fuels left, just in untapped and previously due to technology (maybe still so) it was not economic to get at it.

High oil prices are here to stay, we will adapt and technology will continue to move forward, BMW will have cool hybrids or whatever is available on the market in 20 years, mercs will still be for old geezers

[GoT_RiCe64]

haha my mom has a merc =(