Fuel — Cheap

Lowering the cost of a commute feels like an immediate raise.

When gas is cheap, consumers tend to buy larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles. CHEAP FUEL

When oil is cheap, the urgency to innovate disappears. Low prices at the pump historically slow the adoption of electric vehicles, hydrogen research, and renewable energy grids because the financial incentive to switch evaporates. Lowering the cost of a commute feels like an immediate raise