Gas is still the cheapest source of energy for a car. In 1958 gas cost $0.24 cents a gallon, 1998 gas cost $0.99 cents. So in 40 years gas prices increased roughly $0.01875 cents a gallon. From 1998 to 2012 a 14 year span gas prices went from $0.99 to $3.52 roughly increasing $0.18 cents a year. The only thing that really happened in the car world was the SUV. I have a 1998 Ford Explorer it would cost me $0.1745 cents a mile to drive at current gas prices. Back in 1998 it would have cost $0.0495 cent a mile to drive. A high MPG car costs about half, so $0.09 cents per mile to drive at today’s gas prices and would be less than $0.01 cent back in 1998 at $0.99 a gallon. If you ask me the Green Movement Raised gas prices, which started in the 1990’s.