Image: Christian Lylloff
Imagine this: you’re late for a family dinner, you’ve got your wife and kids packed into the car and you decide to top off the tank so you don’t run out of fuel a mile from grandma’s house. Swiping your credit card, you pump just five and a half gallons of fuel before you say, “good enough”. The pump spits out your receipt and you stagger back into your car door: those five and a half gallons of gas just cost you over $300, or $55 per gallon.
Is this the stuff of science fiction? Hardly: it actually happened to drivers in a town outside of Stuttgart, Germany, this weekend. A local Esso (their equivalent of Exxon) station was running low on premium fuel, so they raised the price to $55 per gallon to discourage motorists from tanking up. It proved less than effective, and at least two drivers refused to pay before the police were called to diffuse the situation. In the end, the motorists were forced to pay their bills, but Esso is expected to intervene on a corporate level. A spokesman for Auto Club Europa compared the situation to the black market, and called for a an investigation into unfair price escalation.
What caused the drama? A shortage of premium unleaded fuel, compounded by restrictions on fuel deliveries over the Easter weekend. Logistical problems created by the introduction of E10 fuel only made the situation worse, and some 20% of gas stations in the Stuttgart area were out of premium fuel on Monday afternoon. Think it can’t happen here? Don’t be too sure about that, so always check your fuel prices at the pump before you tank up.
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
Source: Carscoop
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
