How long until we see €2 a litre and will it push more to EV's faster?

Even when it was over 2/litre people were still idling cars while waiting to collect kids etc so obviously not enough of a disincentive. Didn't notice more people in my village walking kids to school instead of driving 600m.

Not exactly worth the drive over on the ferry is it?

Our primary school brought forward start time to 8.45 to facilitate some parents dropping kids off prior to heading to work.

pretty nice to have coffee making facilities in the car, driving 800km without a break isn’t very clever though.

From today's budget:

• Excise reduction of 21c per litre (petrol), 16c per litre (diesel) and 5.4c (marked gas oil) extended until 28 February, 2023
• Carbon taxes on petrol and diesel will go up from €41 to €48.50 per tonne from 12 October resulting in an increase of just over 2c per litre of petrol and diesel. However, the Government says the price at the pumps should not go up because it is offsetting this with a reduction (from 2% per litre to zero) of the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) levy.

That lithium ion battery cars might be the future cannot be assumed. Recent shocks such as post COVID and Ukraine War inflation and supply disruptions, suggest a mix of sources. Electric cars remain one source, and a way for wealthier or gadget obsessed people to get about (which electric cars were in the 1900s too). It isn't clear this country could support a heavy up take of electric car, particularly with only in Ireland restrictions on coal generations which other countries have dumped. The budget should by rights mean that 1.70 for petrol is a high to middling price (I filled yesterday just in case). Diesel might be difficult until greater refinery capacity comes on stream to replace that produced in Kaliningrad. That Toyota and other Japanese companies have focused on hydrogen should give pause to the electric only people. Any country with a substantial steel or nuclear industry should have the means to provide hydrogen efficiently.

The Toyota electric car, the bZ SUV, is actually (or it looks like) a variant on they've made for years, having offered an electric RAV4 in California on accounts of incentives since the late 90s. Now a moderate sized Toyota SUV will now be offered in far more markets, including here. So we can avail of 'human-centric design.' Marketers have some great spoof.

Speaking of California, and really anywhere with a high electric vehicle take-up, night rate electricity unit rates seem have an upward momentum regardless of war and inflation. Cleaner, efficient transport will work best if there's an avoidance of dogmatic thinking. Hybrid is now a proven solution (and in a way dates back to the advent of cars with the Owens Magnetic running an electric engine for propulsion and petrol for charging). Lithium ion only cars are not yet proven themselves in quite the same way as hybrid, although lastability with batteries has been tackled with the Nissan Leaf, for example.

Less efficient maybe (a diesel can be startlingly efficient for distances), but far cleaner, without even considering the number of ill maintained diesels (injectors maybe) puffing out black smoke. The post Ukraine war loss of refinery capacity for diesel still hasn't been made up. The internal combustion engine working with a tech like hybrid still has potential. Anyhow my brother is very happy with his Tesla 3 for trips to Cork or Galway.

Did almost 790km this morn, in my oil burner.

Got 49mpg , that's 4.8l/100km

Was doing a pretty constant 125km where possible.

We've a 2022 3008 1.2 turbo and it's a wanker on fuel. If I got 600km out of tank I'd be lucky.

Always good to read beyond the headline.

Change is from Oct 12th

At the same time, National Oil Reserve Agency levy which is almost the same as the carbon increase, will be dropped to zero.

Thus no change from government side - just a moving about

I still think in MPG as well as it makes more sense to me. It'll take me a long time to change 🙂

OPEC reducing production by 2 million barrels per day.

https://www.ft.com/content/64d35a40-5144-44f6-afca-c8b88c9d0ad5