Long distances and car dependancy is similar to the US with a traditional preferace for six cylinder vehicles, but the heavyweight F100's etc were never that popular. Most of the local ford and GM Holden models were 3or4/5ths scale of the American counterparts.
4wd mums taxis or Toorack taxis (a suberb of Melbourne) are still very heavily represented.
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This sounds about right if a little optomistic and laid back as far as the option of long lead times.
I think we can expect some rude shocks from the climate much sooner.

However "that only moderate preparitory responses" from the public appears to be the accepted version.
That government will have a role to play?
I think their hearts in the right place (unlike the previous govt that cant find one),but the H*m* (spam avoidance) destructor denialists are still basking in thier last days of irreverence.
There is at least signs of and acceptance of active grass roots push.
History tells us that these people can be effective when they get organised.

Just visited Australia for the first time. Gasoline "petrol" is around $1.70 per liter--roughly $6.50/gallon. Diesel is $1.85/liter, closer to $7.50/gallon.

What surprised me is the utter dearth of hybrid vehicles on the road. During my 2 week stay I counted precisely 7 Priuses. They were being sold for $37,000--approximately $10,000 more than they cost in the U.S. I wonder why?

To be sure there are many more small vehicles (Smarts, Fits, Yaris, etc.) than in the U.S. But there are also far too many "yank tanks" on the road, as well as large pickup trucks "utes" and locally produced large Holdens that I'm sure don't get better than 20 mpg.

Also, I saw truckloads of trailers "caravans" being delivered to dealers, and plenty being towed around.

Apparently, today's energy prices aren't that overwhelming for Australians. People I talked to were resigned to the fact that $2.00/liter was inevitable. It's going to take a lot more than that to change consumption patterns.

Oh, and almost every petrol station has an espresso/cappucino machine.

According to their fisrt graph they envision a severe energy crisis between 2010 and 2020 culminating in 2018 with energy consumption down 25%.

on overwhole their analysis is quite reasonnable though giving limited room to electric (20% of road transportation by 2050. I am afraid that without major breakthrough they might be right...

Anyway, would be good to see the same kind of prediction for US

A lot of the problem is that Australians chose to be 'spaced out' with large backyards or proximity to farming communities. Many of the people who moved to the rural fringe were on average incomes or had night jobs. It worked out well for the last 20 years of cheap fuel but it will test the limits of public transport and EVs. It already is a near crisis for some with no easy solution in sight.

The USA is an interesting country. They have just about the best wind potential on the planet. Plenty of solar and geothermal potential.

Unfortunately for the rest of the planet. They are floating on coal and natural gas. They have hugely influential fossil fuel vested interests.

The president is lacking visionary powers. There are concerns over his testicle size. But it's ok, because he is proud to be the biggest polluter on the planet.

Most people will roll over and support the cheapest available option. There's likely only one direction they are headed.

And just in case you are wondering.....

Which direction are we are headed?

We will try to eat up every little drop of our precious fossil fuel, with our selfish, sticky, greedy little fingers.

The politicians will pontificate and squabble and call each other names.

A few brave souls will inovate and rally against the winds of indifference.

When our resources are gone and we are all very sad. We will find our way. Before then ... I fear not.

Unless of course....

Hey Andy,

I hear that people on other planets are war-mongering condescending f**x who invade and enslave people to do the work they're too lazy to do. You don't hear ME whining.

Quite frankly ongoing oil consumption in any proportion be it consistently rising or in slow decline does not change the fact that easily accesible oil will eventually dissapear and civilization will hit a wall of sorts. Expecting rapid upscaling of BEV vehicle production when we are in this predicament. Just hope the grid can cope with it all.

Though I do feel sorry for those that have to travel long distances to work not because they want to maintain a lifestyle in a big house, but because they are poor and cannot afford to live close to the city. These are the people that can't afford an electric car, but ironically they are also the backbone of the country because they do all the real work.
Then their electricity and gas bill will hit the roof because it is used as an emergency source of fuel for transportation by some other guy. Food follows suit.

On the subject of my beloved Australia, the lack of an affordable selection of hybrids at a decent price is more then a bit sad. The lack of any choice for an electric vehicle is infuriating.
In this mining town where I reside petrol is $1.9/l while diesel is now $2.05/l. CSIRO's gloom predictions are spot on though. Fuel here has been going up consistently about 10c/month. Projecting that forward means $2.5/l petrol come end of year. That means $3.70/l as a Christmas present for 2009.
Internal combustion engine improvements can't keep up in this race.

This sounds about right if a little optomistic and laid back as far as the option of long lead times.
I think we can expect some rude shocks from the climate much sooner.

However "that only moderate preparitory responses" from the public appears to be the accepted version.
That government will have a role to play?
I think their hearts in the right place (unlike the previous govt that cant find one),but the H*m* (spam avoidance) destructor denialists are still basking in thier last days of irreverence.
There is at least signs of and acceptance of active grass roots push.
History tells us that these people can be effective when they get organised.
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