atlaw4u
03-27-2008, 02:00 PM
$8 For a gallon of gas! In Germany, Yes, and it's not slowing them down. (http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/18/781155.aspx)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Autobahn_in_Germany.jpgAndy Eckardt - NBC News - March 18, 2008
It is an everyday lottery when it comes to fuel prices at German gas stations. Prices for regular unleaded and diesel gas bounces up and down, often changing twice on the same day. And drivers in this car-loving nation are unhappily dealing with increasing prices at the pump.
Record prices on the international oil markets have driven gas prices across Europe sky high, with a gallon of unleaded gas costing about $8.60 per gallon in Germany. (In Germany, gas is sold by the liter with one liter of unleaded fuel selling for an average of $2.29)
The high prices hit people where it counts – in the wallet.
"For us, as a family with two children, the high fuel prices are burdening," said Britta Koester, a nurse who has a 20-mile commute to work at odd hours and no options for using public transportation. "I am totally dependent on the car; the infrastructure in our little town is miserable in that respect," said Koester.
While filling up his small Volkswagen Golf, Dietmar Dannemann, 63, watched the meter at the pump carefully and tried to stop his purchase at an exact amount.
"As a member of the ADAC automobile club, I get one cent discount per liter, but I don't want to get more than 15 liters today, the prices are too high," he explained.
Meanwhile, Susana, a 33-year-old mother of two children, actually traveled across town to get a better price at the pump. "I get gas when I see a bargain," she explained. "And, in my family, we call each other when we spot a station with lower prices."
Still loving the autobahn
But despite the rising costs, Germans have continued their love affair with the open road.
"Our turnover is continuously good. We actually see an increase in fuel purchases every year," said Lars Watzek, the manager of a gas station in Regensburg, Germany.
"Every day, people walk in and complain about the rising prices, but honestly, I don't think our customers will drive less because of that," said Watzek. "Germans are in love with their cars."
In fact, new car registrations in Germany increased by 25 percent this February compared to figures from a year ago. And German manufacturers scored double-digit gains in sales, with Europe's biggest car maker, Volkswagen, leading the way with more than 89,000 new cars sold in the first two months of 2008, according to the German motor industry association, VDA. Last year alone, Germany registered a total of 3.5 million new cars… http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/18/781155.aspx
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Autobahn_in_Germany.jpgAndy Eckardt - NBC News - March 18, 2008
It is an everyday lottery when it comes to fuel prices at German gas stations. Prices for regular unleaded and diesel gas bounces up and down, often changing twice on the same day. And drivers in this car-loving nation are unhappily dealing with increasing prices at the pump.
Record prices on the international oil markets have driven gas prices across Europe sky high, with a gallon of unleaded gas costing about $8.60 per gallon in Germany. (In Germany, gas is sold by the liter with one liter of unleaded fuel selling for an average of $2.29)
The high prices hit people where it counts – in the wallet.
"For us, as a family with two children, the high fuel prices are burdening," said Britta Koester, a nurse who has a 20-mile commute to work at odd hours and no options for using public transportation. "I am totally dependent on the car; the infrastructure in our little town is miserable in that respect," said Koester.
While filling up his small Volkswagen Golf, Dietmar Dannemann, 63, watched the meter at the pump carefully and tried to stop his purchase at an exact amount.
"As a member of the ADAC automobile club, I get one cent discount per liter, but I don't want to get more than 15 liters today, the prices are too high," he explained.
Meanwhile, Susana, a 33-year-old mother of two children, actually traveled across town to get a better price at the pump. "I get gas when I see a bargain," she explained. "And, in my family, we call each other when we spot a station with lower prices."
Still loving the autobahn
But despite the rising costs, Germans have continued their love affair with the open road.
"Our turnover is continuously good. We actually see an increase in fuel purchases every year," said Lars Watzek, the manager of a gas station in Regensburg, Germany.
"Every day, people walk in and complain about the rising prices, but honestly, I don't think our customers will drive less because of that," said Watzek. "Germans are in love with their cars."
In fact, new car registrations in Germany increased by 25 percent this February compared to figures from a year ago. And German manufacturers scored double-digit gains in sales, with Europe's biggest car maker, Volkswagen, leading the way with more than 89,000 new cars sold in the first two months of 2008, according to the German motor industry association, VDA. Last year alone, Germany registered a total of 3.5 million new cars… http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/18/781155.aspx