It Now Costs $145 to Fill Up a Ford F-150

[Heliian]

no matter what the cost of fuel

Never understood the outrage at egg prices either.

This shouldn't be *that* big of a deal to be honest.

I don't think you guys really understand the implications of a marked increase in fuel prices. Do the math using percentages, it's quite an increase. It has nothing to do with living paycheck to paycheck either. It's a known fact that increased fuel prices lead to less recreational traveling. This in turn leads to less tourism dollars spent. As @chl said, less trickle down and more costs for everything. Everyone loses.

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[FloridaMan655321]

I don't think you guys really understand the implications of a marked increase in fuel prices. Do the math using percentages, it's quite an increase. It has nothing to do with living paycheck to paycheck either. It's a known fact that increased fuel prices lead to less recreational traveling. This in turn leads to less tourism dollars spent. As @chl said, less trickle down and more costs for everything. Everyone loses.

I’m not sure if anyone is saying increase prices have no impact, just that people shouldn’t buy a full size truck if they can’t handle some price increases in fuel. If anything, money printing has a bigger impact on the economy than a temporary increase of eggs or gas or diesel. Certainly not everyone buys a new full size truck and does buy a very used car or truck and this will impact them quite a bit if they are already living paycheck to paycheck, and I certainly feel for them (heck, I have plenty of family members in this situation).

 

[EV Engineer]

People should not buy toys they can't afford to operate, no matter what the cost of fuel.

Let's assume a $1 increase per gallon of gas. Let's assume it lasts for 6 months, and a person drives 15,000 miles a year, and gets 17mpg. 15,000 / 365 / 17 = $2.42 a day, $435 in 6 months. If you buy a $40,000 truck and can't absorb that without a severe impact to your life, you shouldn't be driving a truck.

The problem is that people react emotionally, not logically. Gas prices spike, and they trade their truck for a efficient car (when cars were sold), even though they are now underwater from the truck, and it will take many, many years to breakeven on the reduced fuel cost.

It's all perspective.

Median USA income is 80k or 6667/month.

15,000 / 365 / 17 = $2.42 extra / day. $72 a month. Now do 2 cars and its $144.

Sure that's only 2% of your gross income. But taxes, housing, food, healthcare etc.

What % of that is discretionary income? People feel it. It's why neither party can survive significantly high gas prices.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

trickle down and more costs for everything. Everyone loses.

Not Everyone...if you're a N.American supplier who is not directly affected by the middle-east conflict for your supply, you're just riding higer world oil prices ... ie making a lot of money without added cost of production...

 

[BigLeagueChoo]

To play devils advocate, in some instances it is cheaper and logistically smarter to drive an ICE vehicle.

For example: upcoming I have as Harrisburg, PA -> King of Prussia, PA -> Newark, NJ -> Boston, MA -> Providence, RI -> Harrisburg PA trip. Additional stops are there, so it'll be roughly 1200 miles or so.

Cross referenced last night against Grok and ChatGPT, I would spend about $225 in fuel in my wife's 2024 Navigator L.

If I took my Lightning, it would cost about $353 assuming $0.55/kWH. Even at a lower rate of $0.40/kWH, it would still cost $256.

More stops to charge = less time at destination.
No waiting at fuel pumps like some charge stations.

*however*

More stops = I get work done sooner on the workstation - so when I check-in to the hotel I don't need to work. Right to dinner.

In sum: I'm still taking my truck because I'm stubborn but you guys get the point I'm trying to make.

___

Now, for my local travels - I can get down and back to Annapolis/Baltimore on one charge and it only costs a few bucks at home overnight, so I know I'm preaching to the choir in this example.

 

[RickLightning]

You need to find free hotel charging...

 

[RickLightning]

I never said it didn't impact people or that I didn't to understand the huge impact the rise in petroleum cost is going to have on products that use it, fuel for factories, or transportation.

But if you buy that fancy truck with the V8 or diesel, then jack it up with monster tires that you know kill mpg, then don't whine when your operating cost goes up by 1/3rd. You should have been putting those funds into your retirement account all along, or your kid's 529.

And that boat that uses 10 gallons an hour. Should have done the math to understand what it could cost in times like this.

There will be a huge amount of toys parked and traded in the next few months.

 

[bc1]

I never said it didn't impact people or that I didn't to understand the huge impact the rise in petroleum cost is going to have on products that use it, fuel for factories, or transportation.

But if you buy that fancy truck with the V8 or diesel, then jack it up with monster tires that you know kill mpg, then don't whine when your operating cost goes up by 1/3rd. You should have been putting those funds into your retirement account all along, or your kid's 529.

And that boat that uses 10 gallons an hour. Should have done the math to understand what it could cost in times like this.

There will be a huge amount of toys parked and traded in the next few months.

Maybe someone will bring back the Cash for Clunkers program? a/k/a car allowance rebate system. I suppose I can take someone's yacht off their hands for a few bucks to save them some grief.

 

[RickLightning]

I used Cash for Clunkers. It lasted a weekend, then funds were exhausted.

 

[bc1]

I used Cash for Clunkers. It lasted a weekend, then funds were exhausted.

I had my 1998 Expedition back then. Most they would give for it was 2500 bux. I kept it for another 16/17 years more of use and I still got 2500 bux a few months ago.

 

[chl]

The rest of the world is buying EVs like crazy according to reports from China, and India:

India EV Sales Trend Mar 2026 - India recorded 2,79,530 EV registrations in Mar 2026, up sharply from 1,95,793 in Feb 2026. Over the last 12 months, India registered 24,52,056 EV sales across vehicle categories.

Not to mention solar...

Who's steering this ship and is that an iceberg ahead?

 

[RickLightning]

Who's steering this ship and is that an iceberg ahead?

 

[Rice_classic]

To play devils advocate, in some instances it is cheaper and logistically smarter to drive an ICE vehicle.

For example: upcoming I have as Harrisburg, PA -> King of Prussia, PA -> Newark, NJ -> Boston, MA -> Providence, RI -> Harrisburg PA trip. Additional stops are there, so it'll be roughly 1200 miles or so.

Cross referenced last night against Grok and ChatGPT, I would spend about $225 in fuel in my wife's 2024 Navigator L.

If I took my Lightning, it would cost about $353 assuming $0.55/kWH. Even at a lower rate of $0.40/kWH, it would still cost $256.

More stops to charge = less time at destination.
No waiting at fuel pumps like some charge stations.

*however*

More stops = I get work done sooner on the workstation - so when I check-in to the hotel I don't need to work. Right to dinner.

In sum: I'm still taking my truck because I'm stubborn but you guys get the point I'm trying to make.

___

Now, for my local travels - I can get down and back to Annapolis/Baltimore on one charge and it only costs a few bucks at home overnight, so I know I'm preaching to the choir in this example.

Is gas cheap where you are?
At $5/gal, that 1200 miles trip means your Navigator is getting 26.6mpg which is great mpgs! But I assume your fuel is around $4 or less?

 

[Rice_classic]

I was talking with a customer of mine who is politically red, and while we were commiserating on the price of gas I told him how much I am glad I got my EV when I did. He had the typical talking points but was curious and really got him being more open when I said: “I can easily produce my own electrons at home, but refining oil into gasoline on my roof is much harder - energy crisis do much impact my own personal transportation costs.”

 

[BigLeagueChoo]

You need to find free hotel charging...

I prefer to stay in more vibrant areas so I can walk to and from a pub. Most of the free charging stations are at hotels that are not in downtown areas. Need to be selfish and have my "me time"! lol

Is gas cheap where you are?
At $5/gal, that 1200 miles trip means your Navigator is getting 26.6mpg which is great mpgs! But I assume your fuel is around $4 or less?

$3.99 at most Sheetz - for both of my equations I used the floor.......most fuel would be $4.30ish and most Tesla Superchargers are at $0.60/kWH.

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