Are the big oil companies really the main corporations causing high gas prices? What about car companies?

Question

I know it is popular to blame big oil companies like Exxon and Shell. And they do have some responsibility. BY I haven't heard enough blame given to the big car manufacturing companies. It is GM, Ford and Chrysler that keep irresponsibly making and selling SUVs and other gas guzzlers. No responsible auto makers should be making any cars getting less than 30 MPG, and they should be trying to have all cars get at least 50MPG in the near future.

Answer 1

They are making these 16 MPG beasts because people are buying them. There are legitimate needs consumers like tradesmen and repairmen who need room to haul equipment and material to and from job sites.

Many of these large, inefficient vehicles are merely symbols of status and others just consider them "safer", allowing them to drive like animals and be the only person(s) available to give accident details.

Apparently, fuel economy was not a deciding factor in purchasing of these new vehicles. I do feel bad for someone who has no choice but to buy something like these, ( a $1500 "beater" car or a $15000 new car ) if I were looking for a ride and my budget only went so far, I'd be in whatever I could afford at the time.

I'm not really sure people are ready to take a stand and turn things around. My observations so far indicate that environmentalism involves bumper stickers and making sure that any public sacrifice occurs in someone else's

yard, neighborhood, town, city, county, state or industry.

I can't even recycle because someone stole my bin that was full of returnable cans. So now I have to toss my cans in with the regular trash to get sorted at the transfer station. I drive my 4 cylinder import car (domestic car dealers did not consider me a viable buyer) 15 highway miles back and forth to work because I cannot take a bicycle on the highway and do not consider being run down by a car on a surface street or being shot at by some thugs wishing to get a quick few bucks for a bike a healthy way to do my part.

Answer 2

It's a simple supply vs. demand thing. Just like with everything else people want the benefits of living in a free capitalistic society but not the responsibility or the problems.

I hope that the higher gas pricing make people thing twice before driving something that they could walk or take public transit to do.

Answer 3

You can't blame the auto makers for making big SUV's, people want them, I want them, I want a bigger one. Car dealers don't force people to buy Hummers, do they? No, they are cool, and the bigger the better, the safer. And as a mom who likes to travel to the lake, a big SUV is a must when packing tubes, life jackets, balls, the tent, raft, pump, sleeping bags.....ICE CHEST, beer and soda!!!

to heck with that Smart Car.

another issue is the enviro's stand in the way of refinery expansion. we have ONE in WA, 1 in CA, on the west coast. Now how dumb is that?

Answer 4

the oil and gas comps. have reported their biggest gain in history...whos fault?? actully it is ours ...yes,,car companies need to make and can make better gas miliage vehicles,,,but we want those bigger cars...supply and demand ...thats how all companies make money...not for the wel-fare of mother earth...but GREED..and as people ...we jump right in there...God ..save us all ... People and companies are not RESPONSIBLE...what do you drive?

Answer 5

It is NOT the oil companies.  They do make 9% profit.

The biggest cause is the oil producers,  Iran, Saudi, Mexico,  Venx, Nigeria, etc.  OPEC

Demand is up...supply is steady

China and India double consumtion every year

Answer 6

The biggest issue at play is rising demand in relation to supply.  India and China have ramped up their demand to fuel their rapidly growing economies.  This is the primary driver in crude prices.  To some extent, continued strife in the Middle East plays a part, but it is not the primary driver.

The major companies such as Exxon and Shell also shoulder part of the blame, as do environmentalists and NIMBY's (Not in My Back Yard) due to the fact that there has been no appreciable increase in refinery capacity in years.

The good news is that we have reached a point where consumers seem to be price elastic with gasoline.  Demand actually started to drop with recent price increases.  This is a good sign and will help moderate prices to a certain extent.

Answer 7

Skipping the first part of your question as Americanfreeman already gave a good answer to it.

It would also be nice to blame the big auto makers, but if people weren't so willing to buy the big trucks and SUV, they wouldn't have any incentive to build them.