Filling the car tank is an economic effort for most drivers. Although, for months now, the price of gasoline and diesel has not reached the historical records of 2022, when it was around 2 euros per liter, refueling is still expensive. For this reason, many drivers choose to go to low-cost gas stations looking for alternatives that allow them to reduce the impact on their pockets.
These gas stations, many of which are associated with supermarket chains, sell fuel at a price that can be several cents below what they cost at the service stations of big brands such as Cepsa or Repsol. Come the end of the year, this choice can represent considerable savings. But, is the quality of gasoline offered by low-cost service stations inferior to that supplied by traditional gas stations?
This is a question that many motorists often ask themselves, since the perception of fuel quality is a determining factor in the decision of where to refuel. For your peace of mind, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) ensures that low-cost gasoline meets quality requirements.
All fuel sold in Spain meets minimum quality standards. What’s more, all the gasoline sold in a given region comes from the same refinery. Therefore, the fuel that comes out of the pumps at low-cost gas stations is the same as what we can find at a traditional gas station.
The only difference is the different additives that each brand adds, but the base gasoline and diesel are the same. There are also no differences regarding the level of emissions.
Unleaded gasoline includes three fundamental elements in its composition: hydrocarbons, ethanol and additives. As has already been reflected previously, this last element is what differentiates the fuel dispensed by low-cost gas stations from the others. The hydrocarbons and ethanol are the same in all cases.
The OCU explains what these three components consist of.
The OCU asks itself the same question that users ask themselves and comes to the conclusion that it is very difficult to answer with certainty. In theory, additives can extend the life of the engine or injectors, says the consumer organization, but this is not proven. “To know for sure – says the OCU – you would have to drive two identical cars under the same conditions of use, always refueling with one type of gasoline and the other to see if there are differences.”
Regarding the premium fuels that we can find at some gas stations and that are a few cents more expensive than normal fuels, the OCU highlights that this price increase is once again due to the extra additives that are added. However, it points out that the consumer association Deco Proteste, in Portugal, carried out a long-term test with the premium diesel and did not find any difference in performance or engine life.
