Many of us will miss the days when you could stop at a the gas stationAdd $5 of 87 octane, and hit the road for miles without worry. Those days are long gone, as Energy.gov Latest Events of the Week shows that automakers have recommended premium fuel for most light-duty vehicles since 2018.
More than half of light-duty vehicles are recommended to use premium fuel, a significant increase from the 6.5 percent of vehicles that required premium fuel in 1985. This growth is due in part to automakers moving to smaller turbocharged engines and higher compression ratios that require higher octane ratings.
While still possible buy a car that is not high test fuel requirementsThe number of available models has been dropping pretty steadily over the past two decades. Medium-duty vehicles weren’t included in the list until 2011, but the category has made up a small portion of available models since then.
Octane ratings measure a fuel’s ability to prevent “dinging” or “knocking.” While there are exceptions, such as racing fuel, most gas stations in the United States offer three octane ratings, ranging from 87 for regular fuel to 93-94 octane for premium fuel. higher octaneThe fuel is more resistant to detonation at higher compression levels, allowing automakers to extract more power from smaller, more fuel-efficient turbocharged engines.
While it is always a good idea to follow the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations, there may be times when premium fuel is not available. The advanced engine control systems of newer vehicles can often adjust their performance to accommodate lower octane fuels, but they may be energy saving or attack power on the road. At the same time, using premium fuel in a vehicle not designed to take advantage of it can provide little or no benefit and cost more in process.
