Slide 1. Introduction.
The class develops whether there is any difference in engine performance between Premium and Low Cost fuel additives, and the implications for fleet management.
Slide 2. Premium and Low Cost fuel additives.
Fuel additives are chemicals added to fuel, gasoline, or diesel to improve its properties, performance, and protect the engine. These additives can have various functions, such as cleaning injectors, increasing octane, improving combustion, reducing emissions, and protecting against corrosion.
In general, they act as enhancers that help the engine run more smoothly and efficiently. However, they work differently in each type of fuel and offer different benefits.
Why is there such a difference in the price of fuel at some gas stations considered Premium and others considered Low Cost? Is it because of the additives? Are we really talking about a “miracle” product or a marketing formula?, is it true that filling up a car with certain fuels with extra additives increases its durability and performance?
The following is a case study of Spain, which will be the same or similar in any country.
Premium+, Efitec, Neotech, Óptima, Star... different names that each gas station uses to label the different diesel and gasoline fuels at their pumps. The distribution companies themselves name them according to the additives they add, but are some better than others?, the first thing you should know is that virtually all fuel sold in Spain contains additives.
- Do extra additives increase engine durability and performance?.
The first thing we need to know, and explain, is that virtually all fuel sold in Spain already contains additives. According to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), "there are currently only nine refineries in Spain, and each one usually supplies service stations in a specific area.
The base fuels supplied by each refinery are identical for all gas stations that load their distribution trucks there on the same day. Gasoline and diesel must always meet minimum quality and property requirements regulated by law, a quality that is sufficient for them to be used by all engines that accept that type of fuel.
Also taking into account that all fuels are good, both those sold at premium service stations and low-cost gas stations, as they have the same minimum quality and approval requirements, it is true that different brands can then add their own additives, although the base additives are always the same, as it is the national company itself that is responsible for transporting and storing all fuels in Spain, now called Exolum and formerly known as Compañía de Logística de Hidrocarburos-CLH, which also adds additives directly at the refinery for all companies that want them.
- All fuels sold in Spain already contain additives.
These basic additives, common to almost all fuels sold in Spain, are called HQ300 and HQ400, and serve to improve the quality of the final products to be refueled and to facilitate refueling.
1. HQ300 is used for diesel.
Its properties are:
Ø Improves the cetane index: this facilitates the ignition of diesel fuel.
Ø Keeps injectors clean and preserves the injection pump.
Ø Protects against corrosion.
Ø Reduces foaming, facilitating the refueling process.
2. HQ400 is used in gasoline.
Its properties are:
Ø Prevents the formation of deposits on the intake valves.
Ø Keeps the injectors clean.
The main gasoline distributors add their own additives. For example, Repsol Efitec 95 gasoline uses the Neotech formula, BP advertises its Active technology, but they are all regulated by law and cannot add just anything.
Basically, they promise effects similar to HQ300 and HQ400, but present them with phrases such as “increases engine life” or “reduces fuel consumption and increases engine performance.” Despite the mystery that companies want to surround their own compounds with, their effects do not seem very different from those achieved by the most common additives.
Considering that all the fuels we refuel with already have additives and that, for example, the major brands add some extras to justify their higher prices, although in very small quantities in proportion to the fuel, in some cases around 1 milliliter per 1,000 liters of fuel, according to the OCU, does adding more supposedly better additives really help improve engine health?.
- All additives have similar effects and there are no major differences in consumption.
In this regard, the OCU has published a report stating that extra additives, which basically promise the same effects as the common HQ300 and HQ400 additives already included in practically all fuels in Spain, show “effects that do not seem very different from those achieved by the most common additives.”
1. Engine life.
The OCU confirms that “proving that an additive extends the life of an engine is very difficult, because there is no way to determine how long that engine would have lasted if it had not used that gasoline.”
2. Consumption.
Even on such a controversial issue as fuel consumption and efficiency, the OCU cites an analysis carried out by the Portuguese consumer organization DECO, which sought to demonstrate the effects of refueling with different types of diesel fuel Premium, Regular, and Low Cost supposedly with different additives. The organization's conclusion was that “after thousands of kilometers traveled, we found no appreciable differences. To reduce consumption, the key is to choose a car with low consumption and drive efficiently.”
- Implications for fleet management.
The main consequence is the cost of fuel, because Premium fuels cost more than normal fuels, around 10 cents per liter of fuel at the same gas station of a multinational oil company such as Repsol, BP, Galp, etc.
The price difference between a gas station belonging to a multinational oil company such as Repsol, BP, Galp, etc. and low-cost gas stations can be between 20 and 30 cents per liter of fuel.
Fuel is one of the biggest costs for a fleet. In fleets such as those used for goods transport, it can account for up to 40% of total costs, and a rise in fuel prices can lead to losses or very low profits/profitability.
As discussed above, there are no significant differences between using premium, regular, or low-cost fuel, so it is recommended to use regular or low-cost fuel to save costs. For a fleet, this means hundreds of thousands or millions of euros in savings per year.
In a fleet of passenger cars or SUVs, it is recommended to replace vehicles after 5-6 years or 150,000 kilometers, whichever comes first. Therefore, even if we use premium fuel, it will have little impact on the durability of the engine.
It is recommended to reach an agreement with an oil company, wholesale distributor, or gas station network for the purchase of fuel because the price will be lower due to the volume of fuel consumed per year.
Slide 3. Thank you for your time.
The class has developed whether there is any difference in engine performance between Premium and Low Cost fuel additives, and the implications for fleet management, see you soon.
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