Gas, pay at the pump or prepay

[Doc]

11 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I remember my older sister got her first car (a yellow Fiat) and took us for a ride. We were going to run out of gas, but found a quarter under the seat which got us a gallon of gas and saved us. 

 

.

 

The places that advertise cheap gas prices in BIG numbers, then have small print that says “cash payment” irritate me! I’ll skip the 7 cents off and go somewhere else most of the time. 

 

We get our gas mostly at BJ's.  There's is usually the cheapest and we use their CC so we get 10c off a gallon.

[Augie]

5 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

We get our gas mostly at BJ's.  There's is usually the cheapest and we use their CC so we get 10c off a gallon.

 

Costco has cheap gas and is very close by, but the lines are ridiculous! They have a ton of pumps, but could apparently could double them and still stay full. I’ve gotten gas there, but only at fluke times where the line is short. 

 

My parents used to drive across town to save a few cents on gas at a Costco in Florida. I’m not sure they really saved anything there. 

 

I honestly can’t remember the last time I did anything but pay at the pump with a credit card. I’m sure in college I paid in cash, because I didn’t HAVE a credit card. Since I got out of school that’s just what I do. I do see people who come in to pre-pay and tell the cashier “I’ll have $10 on pump five”, and I just assume they only have $10 or they don’t have a credit card. 🤷‍♂️

 

[DrW]

Our largest (and best) regional supermarket chain (United) has a rewards program. For every $100 you spend in groceries, you get off 10 cents per gallon at their gas stations (for up to 25 gallons). As we do not drive too much but spend quite some money on groceries, I usually get a credit of around 50 cents per gallon. Unfortunately, alcohol sales are excluded from the reward program.

Edited January 15, 2022 by DrW

[Doc]

49 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Costco has cheap gas and is very close by, but the lines are ridiculous! They have a ton of pumps, but could apparently could double them and still stay full. I’ve gotten gas there, but only at fluke times where the line is short. 

 

My parents used to drive across town to save a few cents on gas at a Costco in Florida. I’m not sure they really saved anything there. 

 

I honestly can’t remember the last time I did anything but pay at the pump with a credit card. I’m sure in college I paid in cash, because I didn’t HAVE a credit card. Since I got out of school that’s just what I do. I do see people who come in to pre-pay and tell the cashier “I’ll have $10 on pump five”, and I just assume they only have $10 or they don’t have a credit card. 🤷‍♂️

Yeah, used to go to Costco until a BJ’s opened up nearer to us.  The $.10 off really makes it worthwhile and covers the membership cost.

[Just Jack]

I used to have a Sams Club near where I lived.  I convinced my boss to let me expense the membership because I could show him how if I filled up my work vehicle there, the gas savings over a year were greater than what the membership cost.  

[LewPort71]

Since  Mrs. Lew and I have retired our Exxon  bill has gone from $500 per month to $50  per month.

I only use the gas card at either Exxon or BP.  Never use the debit card.

And I dont mind going into the store as ask the attendant to ring up $20 on pump 4.

 

[unbillievable]

Wait until we're all on electric.

 

'Remember when it took less than 30mins to fill up your car? Good times. 😏

[Doc]

5 hours ago, unbillievable said:

Wait until we're all on electric.

 

'Remember when it took less than 30mins to fill up your car? Good times. 😏

 

That only happens on long trips. 

[ExiledInIllinois]

6 hours ago, unbillievable said:

Wait until we're all on electric.

 

'Remember when it took less than 30mins to fill up your car? Good times. 😏

Can the grid handle everyone on it?

 

Wait till the rolling blackouts come and your car is dead.

[That's No Moon]

5 hours ago, Doc said:

 

That only happens on long trips. 

I make trips that length or more almost every weekend in the winter. The range thing is an issue for me.

[unbillievable]

9 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

I make trips that length or more almost every weekend in the winter. The range thing is an issue for me.

The range is going to be the problem for me too.

Currently, there is no electric car available that can travel between the two nearest charging stations out here. Going EV means being stuck in town.

 

14 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Can the grid handle everyone on it?

 

Wait till the rolling blackouts come and your car is dead.

They will need to beef up the grid which will probably push the cost of electricity close to gas prices.

 

Just wait until it costs you $3/hr to turn on your AC at home.

[Doc]

12 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

I make trips that length or more almost every weekend in the winter. The range thing is an issue for me.

 

 

The 3 gets 358 miles on a full charge, probably 300 in winter because of using the heater.  If you're using more than that and can't charge using a 240V/50A outlet at your destination, yeah, it would mean longer time at the "pump."

[Jauronimo]

[Misleading Title. Please update to "Do you own a credit card?"]

[That's No Moon]

2 hours ago, Doc said:

 

 

The 3 gets 358 miles on a full charge, probably 300 in winter because of using the heater.  If you're using more than that and can't charge using a 240V/50A outlet at your destination, yeah, it would mean longer time at the "pump."

that's the problem, not to mention I would be very wary of going below half in potentially bad weather that could have me stranded on the road or stuck in terrible traffic for a long time. It's easy to find a gas station in just about every town in this country, it's not always easy to find a charging station and, in that scenario, finding an empty charging station would be even worse.

[BuffaloBill]

21 hours ago, Doc said:

 

That only happens on long trips. 

 

Next car for us will be plug in electric.  However, second car is likely to be gas fueled.  This why we can take advantage of the strengths of each.  There is also the risk of a long term power outage to navigate these days.  

[Augie]

21 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

Next car for us will be plug in electric.  However, second car is likely to be gas fueled.  This why we can take advantage of the strengths of each.  There is also the risk of a long term power outage to navigate these days.  

 

We known a bunch of people with an electric car, but the other car is always gas. Sounds like a good plan to me. We drive cars forever, and depending upon the situation next time around I’d certainly look into it. 

 

In high school I had a third alternative. A Chevy Chevette was my first car. I think there was a gerbil on a treadmill powering that. Hills were a problem only of you had to go UP. 

 

 

.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Augie

[That's No Moon]

5 hours ago, Doc said:

 

 

The 3 gets 358 miles on a full charge, probably 300 in winter because of using the heater.  If you're using more than that and can't charge using a 240V/50A outlet at your destination, yeah, it would mean longer time at the "pump."

FTR I don't think the whole long range battery thing is going to be the solution to this. IMO we already have the technology in transoms like they use on electric locomotives. They are trying this out in Germany right now. It would be much simpler and cheaper and better for the world to build charging zones onto existing long distance roads. Each vehicle would have a transom to deploy and draw current from the overhead wire, like a locomotive or a bumper car. The zones wouldn't need to be contiguous over the entire highway system. Just in selected locations for a select distance that would need to be calculated (vehicles need x number of minutes in a charge zone to recoup y amount of charge therefore we need z amount of charging zone miles per 100) for vehicles to be able to stay in the middle 50 percent of battery life, and/or on long uphill sections where power draw is high.  You have an account hooked to your car like an ezpass, you activate the transom in a zone when you want to or the car can be programmed to do it automatically in set parameters and it just does it and you are billed. Depending on how you wanted to do it you could even have it like your electric utility bill in that different providers could offer contracts at certain rates to supply you the electricity, you pay a surcharge to the utility for transmission and maintenance. Seamless electricity for your car wherever you are. When you get to your destination you charge at a stationary port like normal because there is time to do it there.

 

The local road networks are fine for current batteries and stationary charging though if you felt the need to make something you could because electric buses and light rail are a thing. If focus on long haul first though. Out on the interstate and for things like long distance trucking it just doesn't work with batteries and sitting still to charge and it isn't going to. Make it so you can charge while moving and you've got a viable technology that is actually an improvement. The technology is 100 years old and is very reliable. It works in all weather conditions, it's relatively easy to maintain/repair, and it's comparatively cheap to install the infrastructure. Tweak it for this purpose and call it a win.

[Doc]

13 hours ago, That's No Moon said:

FTR I don't think the whole long range battery thing is going to be the solution to this. IMO we already have the technology in transoms like they use on electric locomotives. They are trying this out in Germany right now. It would be much simpler and cheaper and better for the world to build charging zones onto existing long distance roads. Each vehicle would have a transom to deploy and draw current from the overhead wire, like a locomotive or a bumper car. The zones wouldn't need to be contiguous over the entire highway system. Just in selected locations for a select distance that would need to be calculated (vehicles need x number of minutes in a charge zone to recoup y amount of charge therefore we need z amount of charging zone miles per 100) for vehicles to be able to stay in the middle 50 percent of battery life, and/or on long uphill sections where power draw is high.  You have an account hooked to your car like an ezpass, you activate the transom in a zone when you want to or the car can be programmed to do it automatically in set parameters and it just does it and you are billed. Depending on how you wanted to do it you could even have it like your electric utility bill in that different providers could offer contracts at certain rates to supply you the electricity, you pay a surcharge to the utility for transmission and maintenance. Seamless electricity for your car wherever you are. When you get to your destination you charge at a stationary port like normal because there is time to do it there.

 

The local road networks are fine for current batteries and stationary charging though if you felt the need to make something you could because electric buses and light rail are a thing. If focus on long haul first though. Out on the interstate and for things like long distance trucking it just doesn't work with batteries and sitting still to charge and it isn't going to. Make it so you can charge while moving and you've got a viable technology that is actually an improvement. The technology is 100 years old and is very reliable. It works in all weather conditions, it's relatively easy to maintain/repair, and it's comparatively cheap to install the infrastructure. Tweak it for this purpose and call it a win.

 

Yeah, faster/more readily available charging is.  They're working on solid state batteries which can charge instantaneously.

[Doc Brown]

On 1/15/2022 at 11:08 AM, Doc said:

Unless you don't have a CC, paying inside makes no sense when it allows you to do it right at the pump.  Even if you want to go checkout the convenience store (just pay with CC and go in).  Unless they give you a better rate for cash.

Even if that's an option I don't feel like the math in my head to see if paying cash will outweigh the rewards for using my credit card.  I pry haven't paid cash since the Trent Edwards era.

[CowgirlsFan]

Pay at the pump.