Your questions answered: why does petrol suddenly cost more?
What’s most surprising about fuel price jumps is that we’re still surprised by themThe cynical truth behind fuel price hikes, licence plate plays and not-so fantastic plastic this week in Your Questions Answered.
Got an automotive question but you don’t know where to find the information you need? Never fear, email us here at editor@carsales.com.au.
Why did the cost of petrol jump this week?
Is it a coincidence that the price of petrol jumped the very day that the latest Middle East war (let’s call it what it is) was launched? Absolutely not. It’s like the companies think we’re stupid. How can the same petrol in the same tanks as last week, now cost 20 per cent more? Maybe people in EVs have the right idea – though I shouldn’t give power companies any ideas. – Damion
Answer: Hi Damion; I cannot argue with you there. And you are right; petrol prices have skyrocketed in the last few days.
The phenomenon is known as a petrol price cycle and affects very few countries in the developed world, aside from Australia and New Zealand. It’s not set at a federal or state government level, but by fuel companies who use every trick in the book to maximise profits on a commodity that has become vital to the functionality of our society.
Of course, the fuel in the tanks at servos and depots around the country is the same as the fuel that was in there this time last week. But with just a couple of news reports about the potential of disruption in the supply, we lose our collective minds (again), rushing to the petrol station and filling up ahead of… what exactly? This new conflict isn’t going away quickly, and it’s not like we’re all going to start riding bicycles suddenly to save fuel.
A friend of mine from Germany saw price cycling firsthand a few years ago while on a trip here, and she was gobsmacked that Australian consumers would even stand for it. “It’s basically extortion,” she said, and she’s not wrong. Yay, duopolies!
The bitter irony is that, as a country, Australia is in a very poor position from a fuel security position. Put simply, a country is considered secure when it has 90 days of liquid fuel on hand; Australia had just 22 days of diesel – vital to keep things like food and medical supplies on the move – as of January this year.
So why are we all paying through the nose for fuel, and why do prices change from hour to hour? Greed from corporates and weakness from our state and federal governments when it comes to restricting the actions of industry heavyweights pretty much sums it up.
And you’re right… if you have an electric vehicle (EV), a home battery and solar panels right now, you’re laughing all the way to work.
Are rego plates needed anymore?
Why do we even need registration plates anymore? Surely, we can use the VINs that we use to register our cars and use to buy new parts with? – Tom
Answer: Hey Tom, great question, and I don’t actually have a hard answer! A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-digit code that is compulsory for every new vehicle, while a number plate linked to our individual registration status displays a different code… which essentially does the same job.
The old argument used to be that the length and complexity of a VIN code would make it difficult for licencing and law enforcement agencies to access quickly, but in the age of handheld barcode readers and QR codes, that argument doesn’t really hold water anymore.
The fact that registrations are state- and territory-based could have something to do with it; axing the revenues from that additional stage of vehicle registration would put sizable dents in government coffers. But surely that still doesn’t explain the need for a physical registration plate.
A standardised QR code sticker, for example, could be added to the front and rear of a vehicle so law enforcement agencies can scan them for registration and enforcement purposes, and it also instantly solves the ongoing issue of number plate theft.
I’ll keep doing some research on this one!
Is scraping my car a bad thing?
Hi team, I have a question about my little Toyota. Sometimes the bottom of my car makes a light scraping sound when I go over driveways. Is that hurting it? – Mel
Answer: Hey Mel; it’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question, but my guess is that you’re bumping over a roll-edge curb in a smaller car. In that case, I’d bet five bucks that you’re brushing some underbody plastics on the concrete, and that does no harm at all.
If you check out the underside of a modern car, you’ll see a lot of plastic panels all the way along its length. They are used primarily to reduce wind drag, which in turn helps fuel economy.
The most likely culprit when it comes to scrapes on curbs could be a small plastic fender that sits in front of your front wheels, which is designed to clean up the airflow around the wheel. It sounds terrible, and in severe cases it could even be ripped off, but it doesn’t hurt your car.
If it is looking a bit scruffy, or is hanging down a bit, it’s easy enough to clean it up with a box cutter and some sandpaper, replace the factory push-in clips to reassemble it all, or even use a trusty zip tie or two to re-attach it.
The views stated in this advice column are advisory only. Questions may be edited for clarity and length.
Got an automotive question but you don’t know where to find the information you need? Never fear, email us here at editor@carsales.com.au.
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