The Great American Gas Swindle Revisited

I had another rather grumpy commenter drop a line on this vintage posting: The Great American Gas Swindle.

Unfortunately, he hadn't read the follow-up, Taking a Spin in the No-Fact Zone, which addressed the issue he and another commenter had raised regarding some of the facts [All of the facts, actually - Editorial Bear] I'd mentioned.

The issue they were discussing was the difference between European and American petrol.

I had quite reasonably assumed (based on the numbers on the pumps and a misleading Wikipedia entry) that the gasoline sold in America was of an inferior 'Octane Rating' than the petrol sold in the UK and mainland Europe.

Specifically that American gas is sold in Regular (87 Octane) Premium (89 Octane) and Super (91 Octane) varieties - all of which seem inferior to European petrol, which is sold at 94 Octane (Unleaded) or 98 Octane (Super Unleaded.)

The 'Octane' rating references the 'knock resistance' of an engine, or the likelyhood of 'Auto Ignition' which could cause 'knocking' or 'pinking.' That's the rattle in the engine that indicates the fuel is igniting early and causing your pistons to fire out of sequence (damaging your engine.)

Based on my previous information, it's very simple to assume that American petrol had a lower Octane rating (and was of inferior quality) to European fuel.

However, I have been informed that America and Europe have different ratings systems to determine the Octane Rating of their fuel. The Europeans (and most of the rest of the world) use the Research Octane Number (RON) to determine the Octane Rating.

The Americans and Canadians apparently use a measuring system called Motor Octane Number (MON) or the aviation lean octane rating - which is a similar, but more stringent test using pre-warmed fuel and variable ignition times to deliver an accurate Octane rating based on more demanding criteria.

Because the MON test is 'harder,' the Octane Ratings derived that way tend to be about 4 or 5 points lower than the equivalent European RON tests. Therefore, 89 Octane American fuel (sold as 'Premium') would actually be equivalent to regular 94 Octane Unleaded sold from European pumps.

So when it comes down to it, European and American fuel is actually pretty much the same stuff... Or is it?

There's one more important factor to consider. Across much of the United States (mandated by law in some States) the oil-based fuel sold in petrol stations is actually mixed with 10% corn-based ethanol.

This increasingly common trend is intended to help reduce America's reliance on foreign oil - and the percentage of ethanol mixed in with regular petrol will only increase as technology helps close the net energy unbalance of producing corn-based fuel.

One thing to remember about corn-ethanol based fuels is that they're about 35% less efficient than regular petroleum. Therefore, even the 10% mix in American petrol is enough to reduce your overall fuel consumption.

So while I might have been wrong about the RON and MON ratings, it's still worth remembering that what goes into your tank in America still won't get you as far as it will in Europe (and that's ignoring that fact that your American car only does 15mpg!)

The Great American Gas Swindle

BEFORE you angrily leave a comment - read a follow-up posting here...

With most cheap things, you get exactly what you pay for. That rule is absolutely true when it comes to American petroleum.

You might be surprised to hear that. After all, in America gasoline is about one third of the price of the UK (it's roughly $2.50 a gallon here at the moment.) But what very few people realise is that it's not the same stuff at all!

Roll up to a Shell station in the UK and you get offered Unleaded, Super Unleaded and, in some places, 4 Star or Lead Replacement Petrol.

In the United States, the gas station attendants (you don't pump your own gas in New York) will offer you Regular, Premium or Super.

Foolishly, you might think you're getting a bargain as you slosh American Regular into your car's 14 gallon tank - but you'd be wrong.

Because American gasoline is of inherently inferior quality to the stuff we sell in Europe - even the 'Super' grade.

The 'quality' of petroleum is matched to it's octane rating. This is the complicated percentage of iso-octane compared to n-heptane in the make-up of the gasoline. Standard European unleaded petrol, for example, has 95% iso-octane against 5% n-heptane.

No, I have no idea what that means. But I do know what it DOES. It controls the amount of energy it takes to 'ignite' the petrol in your car's engine. The higher the octane, the more energy it takes to ignite the gas - which might seem like a bad thing, but it's not.

You see, engines have to 'ignite' the petrol in each cylinder in a specific order to ensure smooth running of the car (and to prevent engine damage.) If your gasoline ignites in a cylinder early (producing a characterising 'pinking' or 'pinging' noise) the engine will get damaged as the pistons struggle to contain the out-of-sequence pressure. That 'pinging' noise - or Knocking as it's officially known - is an aural warning that your engine's getting damaged.

The higher the octane rating of petrol, the smoother and more efficiently an engine runs. Higher octane petrol increases horsepower and reduces fuel consumption. This is why NASCAR racing cars and World War Two fighter planes use 100 Octane fuel to ensure their combustion engines are running at peak efficiency.

Anyway. Now you know the basics of the Octane rating system, let me explain to your why American gasoline is a rip-off.

I mentioned that European unleaded is 95 Octane. 4 Star is rated at 97 Octane and Super Unleaded, which is what premiere league footballers use to fuel their Bentleys, is rated at 98 Octane. Just like European lager, this is the good stuff. Smooth, strong and 'reassuringly expensive.'

But if European petrol is Heineken or Leffe, that means American patrol is more like Bud or Miller Lite. Cheaply produced, generic in quality and liable to cause pungent exhaust fumes.

Because Regular American gasoline is a mere 87 Octane. Premium (ha! like Miller 'High Life' beer, advertising itself as 'the champagne of beers!) is 89 Octane and 'the good stuff' they call Super is anything but, with an Octane rating of 91 (or occasionally 93).

It's simply inferior fuel. The poor quality of the fuel is the number one reason why American engines need to be bigger and less fuel efficient. This is why American car manufacturers boast about getting 'an incredible 25mpg' while in Europe our mid-sized cars effortlessly deliver 40mpg.

This disparity is an enormous contributing factor towards the way Americans build and use their cars. If they had better quality petrol, their car manufacturers could produce smaller, more efficient engines (my five litre Lincoln produces the same horsepower as my two litre Volvo did) and the entire country would rethink the way they buy their gasoline.

But it's not going to happen, which is a pity.

What's even more of a pity is the way Americans seem pre-programmed to reach for the 'Regular' nozzle (or rather, their attendants do) instead of the slightly more expensive Premium or Super selections.

A recent experiment in my Lincoln has revealed that filling up with Super (for about three dollars more per tank) produces smoother running, more powerful and responsive performance (man, that car can SING) and then manages to give me a free 'gallon and a half' of mileage, delivering about 3 of 4 more mpg.

Do the mathes and you soon realise that it's actually CHEAPER to fill up with Super than Regular. It's CHEAPER and it's better for your car, better for the environment and you have to stop at the petrol station less frequently.

But still, like obedient little sheep, million of Americans line up at the gas station every single morning and pour gallons of Regular into their Yukon and Escalade SUV's, still stuck in the stupid frame of mind that they're saving a few bucks by buying the cheaper grade of gas.

That, my friends, is The Great American Gas Swindle.

Next week - Why Starbucks Coffee is overpriced...