5 important things to know about gasoline

You already know how dependent we are on gasoline in the US. Despite the increase in the number of electric and diesel vehicles, gasoline is still the most used fuel in the US. However, there are a few things you should know about this vital vehicle.

Where did this come from

If you've ever wondered where the gasoline you buy at your local gas station comes from, good luck with that. No information is collected about where a particular batch of gasoline comes from, and each batch of gasoline is often a collection from many different refineries due to the mixing that occurs after it enters the pipelines. Basically, it is impossible to determine the exact source of the fuel you are using in your vehicle.

Taxes Raise Prices Significantly

Every gallon of gasoline you buy is taxed at both the state and federal levels. While the amount you pay in taxes varies from state to state, the total price you pay per gallon includes about 12 percent of taxes. There are also a number of reasons these taxes could be increased, including efforts to reduce pollution and traffic congestion.

Understanding ethanol

Most gasoline at a gas station contains ethanol, which means ethyl alcohol. This component is made from fermenting crops such as sugarcane and corn and is added to fuel to increase oxygen levels. These higher oxygen levels improve combustion efficiency and cleanliness, which helps reduce the harmful emissions your car emits every time you drive.

Amount per barrel

Everyone has heard the news about the constantly changing price per barrel. What most people don't realize, however, is that each barrel contains approximately 42 gallons of crude oil. However, after cleaning, only 19 gallons of usable gasoline remain. For some vehicles on the road today, that's the equivalent of just one tank of fuel!

US export

While the US is rapidly increasing its own natural gas and oil production, we still get most of our gasoline from other countries. The reason for this is that American manufacturers can make more profit by exporting it to foreign countries rather than using it here.

Now that you know more about the gasoline that powers most cars in the US, you can see that there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.