The low-carbon fuel standard has been a reality for those gassing up in California for several years, and we’ve seen the chatter–and the confusion–online.
What exactly is it? Does it use a different recipe? And a big question: Is it okay for a classic car?
Likely yes.
Why the “likely” in that reply?
For the most part, California’s low-carbon fuel …
There is a lot of flim flam going on with this also. Something to do with carbon credits, and anyone who knows anything about that, there is some SERIOUS doubt that those "credits" have much of any actual carbon reduction effects (!)
And yes, this is an extra cost for the low-carbon fuel standard compliance: about 8 to 10 cents per gallon, according to CARB
Uhm, yeah. That's not what many others say, including this thing known as the California Air Resources Board (!):
California Air Resources Board staffers estimated last year that the new rules could raise the price of a gallon of gas by as much as 47 cents next year. By 2040, the added cost to the price per gallon could be $1.80, staff members estimated in their 2023 document.
So, to reduce the effect of shipping oil from around the world in to CA, they come up with this idea, while simultaneously wildly attacking and restricting any oil extraction in CA (which was the oil capital of the US in the 1930!!). Seems like maybe extracting oil in CA, with it's already very strict regulations to make it as clean as possible (and keep the money in CA), is probably a much better idea.
There is also the great plan CA has come up with to avoid the gas price spikes that happen when CA refineries shut down for maintenance etc. Those spikes of course are primarily caused by the completely isolated CA market, but some will say it's all about "price gouging by the oil companies" despite numerous investigations (by the state) that show that is clearly not the case (just the way the isolated market works).
The guess is this plan will save the consumer, what is can be a 25 cent a gallon or more swing, but building and maintaining the massive storage that is required, will cost a lot... which will be passed on to the consumer or course... which will likely raise the gas prices by...... 25 cents gallon. (!!!! and that's every day, not occasionally!)
Hey, what do I care? I don't drive much. My old cars don't get a lot of miles on them. The poorer people in the state, who cannot live anywhere near where they work (because housing is ridiculously expensive) and there is very little public transit (especially away from city centers)... they are screwwwweeeed.
But heck, they can just buy an electric vehicle (with all the money they don't have)... to drive their work trucks long distances everyday (electrics are good at that right?!?)... and have no place to charge it... and pay the highest electricity rates in the US to charge it when they can...
Yes, it's an S-show, and they just keep piling more S on top of the huge pile of S that is already there.
I think there is a name for this:
Mismanagment
(did I tell you about the survey I got from CARB about how I store my old cars, and how much gas is in them.... )
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