Down with the overdependence on oil

 

THE huge increase in the price of fuel is a major reason why the world’s consumption of the precious commodity is also decreasing.

It is also the cause of the sudden dip in the importation of petroleum products in the third quarter of the year. 

You see, the prediction we made several months ago came true this time. We foresaw that lots of vehicle owners would conserve on gasoline after its price broke the P30-per-liter level.

Those who own more than two or three vehicles have reportedly started selling their spare vehicles, while the others simply minimized their use in order to save on fuel.

Those who have luxury SUVs or six-cylinder cars have also replaced them with sedans or compact cars. This is why the secondhand car market is also flourishing these days.

Although the big car manufacturers and dealers are hard-up in making their respective quotas, many secondhand car dealers are reportedly having brisk sales. The added incentives of being able to avail themselves of payment periods of as long as three to four years for a secondhand car has become attractive to many, especially those who are buying their first car.

The entry of various compact cars that are priced from P550,000 to P650,000 is also attracting many would-be buyers since these are more economical compared with big sedans and SUV.

But let’s go back to the issue at hand: the less our independence on fossil fuels is, the better things will be. Just like many other countries, the Philippines has started to realize that we should not be overdependent on those Middle Eastern countries for our energy supplies.

Energy conservation programs being conducted all over the world have shown that oil-producing countries cannot control or manipulate world oil prices forever. The continued decline in the demand for oil would certainly help reduce its price in the world market.

And don’t be surprised when it hits rock-bottom in the near future. The world is no longer afraid of these oil-producing nations cutting their production or supplies in order to jack up their prices. There are just too many alternatives in the market today.

For example, you can now choose to use biofuels or liquefied petroleum gas in your car in order to go around the city or provinces. They are readily available in the market nowadays and are safe to use, too.

Other alternatives include those so-called flex-fuel cars that can use gasoline blended with ethanol and hybrid vehicles which run on both electricity and gasoline.

The problem of overdependence on fossil fuels has long been anticipated by many car manufacturers in the world. As a result, they have invested in the intensive study and development of cars which run on alternative sources of power.

We must remain relentless in our search for alternative power and, at the same time, conserve on energy in order to show those oil-producing countries that we will not be beholden to them forever in our quest for progress and development.
 
THE mouthwatering and much-awaited Los Angeles Auto Show was launched last week.
The 10-day exhibition, touted as the most important car event in North America after the prestigious Detroit Motor Show, enticed 47 car manufacturers who displayed thousands of cars at the huge Los Angeles Convention Center.

It was reported that 21 vehicles made their debut—14 new designs that will go on sale shortly and seven “concept cars” equipped with groundbreaking technologies.

BMW’s revolutionary hydrogen-fueled 7 Series was among the “green” cars of the future that went on display during the show. The car runs on a conventional-style engine with almost zero emissions. General Motors showed off a hybrid version of its bestselling 4x4, the GMC Yukon, while Ford exhibited a gas-electric variation of its Escape station wagon.
But these US designs are scrambling to make up lost ground in the face of Japanese giants Honda and Toyota, which already have second-generation hybrids on the market and are busily developing the third.

Toyota is currently working on a hybrid “plug-in’’ vehicle capable of being recharged directly from a power grid, enabling journeys of 3,000 kilometers on a single tank of gasoline.
 
MAZDA Philippines had just opened up its new dealership in Cebu.

Spearheading the fleet of Mazda cars that were introduced to the Cebuanos were the Mazda3, the executive sedan Mazda6 and the Mazda Tribute.

“We are delighted to open Mazda in Cebu and to serve the good number of Cebu customers who have brought in their Mazdas to the city. We are likewise looking forward to formally introducing our products to everyone else,” said Mazda Philippines managing director Gerry Alejandro.

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THE grueling testing of various cars that are contenders for various awards in this year’s Car of the Year-Philippines (Coty-P) is still continuing.

The second testing was done last weekend—Saturday and Sunday—at the up-and-down hill slopes of Forest Hill Golf and Country Club in Antipolo, Rizal.

Several members of the Car Awards Group Inc., the organization of motoring journalists behind the annual awards group headed by Aida Sevilla-Mendoza, were on hand to test the likes of Toyota Camry 3.5L V6, the Honda Accord 3.0L V6, the Subaru Legacy 2.0L station wagon, the Mazda 6 2.3L (the 2005 Coty-P and the defending champion in the 2005 Coty-P executive car category) and the Mitsubishi Galant 240M.

The next testfest on January 6 and 7, 2007, at the Forest Hills Golf and Country Club will shine the spotlight on the luxury car (P 2.6-million to P3.99-million) and ultra-luxury car (P4-million to P6-million) segments. The unveiling of the 2006 Philippine Car of the Year will be on March 7, 2007, at the Rockwell Tent, The Power Plant Mall, Makati City.

The Coty-P is being supported by the Philippine Allied Corp. (official distributor of Bridgestone tires in the country), Automobile Association Philippines, Petron Corp., Rockwell Land, Sony Ericsson, Manila International Auto Show, Forest Hills Golf and Country Club, eStandard Insurance, Sycip, Gorres and Velayo and Co. (SGV and Co.) and Manila North Tollways Corp.