The world seems to go through this cycle every four years. People buy huge gas guzzling SUVs, war breaks out in the Middle East, gas prices skyrocket, everyone complains and panics. You’d think people would have caught on by now.

[–] Matty_r@programming.dev 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

At least this time around we've got EVs as an option. Obviously if youre unable to afford a new car this doesn't help, but its something.

[–] zurohki@aussie.zone 3 points 1 day ago

You can buy a low end EV for about $25,000 now, which is still a decent chunk of cash but they're not $65k any more.

It'll take a couple of years for these to show up on the used car market, but they're coming.

[–] Seagoon_@aussie.zone 10 points 2 days ago

Fire!!!!

Don't rush for the doors.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Hopefully this will make a number of people reconsider the size of the vehicles they require, and switch to smaller hybrids and/or EVs.

The new BYD ATTO1 is really tempting as a secondary run-around car for when me or the missus needs to do a solo trip.

[–] MisterFrog@aussie.zone 1 points 1 day ago

Hopefully this will make a number of people realise how heavily car dependent we are in Australia, not to US-levels, but pretty significantly.

There's no solution to traffic other than viable alternatives to driving.

We need to invest in quality public transport, and in the meantime rapidly expand bus routes (making them less spaghetti-like, and increasing frequencies)

[–] stylusmobilus@aussie.zone 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That’s fine for the people that can afford this, have the home and subsidised solar infrastructure to charge it.

The rest of us can’t just make this switch.

[–] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Ofcourse, not everyone can afford to buy a new car at the drop of a hat.

The K-shaped economic recovery post-COVID (hell, post Great Recession even) has been absolutely brutal on household disposable income.

The only (slight) silver lining is that organic market incentives like this fuel-shock will cause a spike in new economical car sales, which will flow through into the used market over the next 2-5 years as leases expire or cars get traded in for the next upgrade.

If all that was selling continued to be fuel-guzzling road-hog SUVs and yank-style “trucks”, then that’s all that will be available in the used market for the next few years.

But even for that small group of people who can only afford at most ~$25K for their next vehicle - they at least now have the option of a brand new (and actually not cheap shit) EV -which they can usually just slow-charge off their mains power (thanks to being in a 200-240V country).

Doesn’t necessarily help those without access to off-street parking and proximity to a power point, but people are creative - and to paraphrase Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park: “life finds a way (to an unattended public outlet”.

[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 2 points 1 day ago

We still face an extensive public transport network in major cities. The petrol price increase will give governments the mandate to (or to continue to) invest in public transport infrastructure.

The most efficient electric vehicle is a Train.

[–] stylusmobilus@aussie.zone 1 points 2 days ago

That’s wonderful, it truly is.

Still something we can’t participate in, won’t for a while, is a marker for the difference between us and that gap is growing.

I doubt I’ll be able to do to a second hand EV what I can do to my old Corolla. Nice to know the second hand cars of the future will be useless to us.

[–] FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au -3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

and switch to smaller hybrids and/or EVs.

The result of that would be significantly more strain on the grid, and even more increases in power prices. Yay.

I love EV's and my next car will be one, but we need to get our power grid shitshow sorted before any significant percentage of people get EVs or we'll be up a creek without a paddle.

[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 1 points 17 hours ago

Solar and batteries will take up a lot of the strain and provide the population and nation more independence and sovereignty over their energy usage and consumption;

Except for the major percentage of the population who can’t have rooftop solar, don’t have space for a battery and can’t afford a new car, but also don’t have access to public transport infrastructure.

[–] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

They don't make supply hoping for extra demand anymore. It goes the other way around.