I recently received a digital telegram from a very loyal reader, Erin, in Washington D.C. in response to the Snazzy Gas article and comments. In any case, I think her reply will better inform us about where our gas comes from and will probably stir up some interesting conversation:
Hi Gabriel,
I work for Edelman and do online public relations for Shell, and I recently came across your post “Snazzy Gas” at the Transit Miami blog. I applaud your interest in testing a variety of fuels for better gas mileage – it’s certainly a worthwhile experiment.
I’m just writing to clarify a point made by one of your readers in a comment. Dave remarked about gas stations essentially offering all consumers the same product. I understand where Dave’s thinking comes from, but the reality is that all gasoline is not the same.
Here are the basics on “why”: Gasoline that comes out of the fuel dispenser at a service station is composed of two primary components – the base fuel and the additive. While the base fuel may be similar between two or more brands, the additive – in Shell’s case, a proprietary formula — may be different for each brand.
While all gasolines contain minimum levels of detergents as required by government standards, several companies – like Shell – use additives that feature higher levels of cleaning agents which help prevent harmful deposits from forming on critical engine parts. (More info at Shell’s website: www.shell.com/us/vpower)
Also, if you’d like to know more about high detergency, better quality fuels, check out Top Tier Detergent Gasolines: http://www.toptiergas.com/
At any rate, I hope that information is helpful. Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions!
Best,
Erin
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