by Chauncey Dumfry

Created on: June 23, 2008

This is an interesting question, a tad misguided, but interesting nonetheless. I voted for the "No" side, simply because I think electric vehicles are in a way unrelated to gas prices. If the electric car can replace gasoline powered automobiles, then gas prices will not be an issue. Now a partial influx of electric cars into the market won't have an effect on gas prices, oil companies will continue to make record breaking profits at the expense of the global economy, and average Americans will continue to feel like they NEED to drive gas guzzling SUV's and trucks.

I say that the question is misguided because there is, of course, no single answer to the rising price of gas. Rising demand from the developing world, governmental incompetence, and war in the Middle East, are all more pertinent factors in the price of oil than the number of electric cars on the road. If Americans do indeed lower the demand for oil, the price probably won't go down. Oil companies are just too greedy, and they are far too protected by a governmental body that is in their pocket (is the Dick Cheney/Haliburton connection not clear enough?).
An electric car can be the answer to high gas prices on an individual level, obviously if you drive an electric car you won't spend so much on fuel; however at this point fully electric vehicles aren't really available. The closest thing is the aptera (as much as 300 mpgs) but that won't be available until late 2008, and only in California (www.aptera.com). So we're still left driving hybrids that are still dependent on gasoline. A better bet than electric cars would be to start commercially producing bio-diesel cars, yeah the ones that run on grease. That way the American institution of Fast Food will directly support the transportation industry. Also our highways will smell delicious.
High gas prices are here to stay and they will most likely continue to rise, Americans will gradually adjust, by buying more subcompact cars, more electric cars, more bio-diesel conversions, less leisure driving etc. In time the average American city or highway will resemble the cities in Europe, with tiny cars more prevalent than the oversize super huge SUV.
In the distant future electric cars may render the gasoline industry obsolete, but they will not have a significant impact on the price of gas in the next few decades. Impeaching G.W. Bush and trying his entire administration for war crimes against humanity might be a good place to start, as it would be a huge step towards patching up our relations with many oil producing nations. I'll even give G.W. a ride to the Hague in my Prius.

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