Premium Unleaded Gas/petrol: What Are The Alternatives In Developing Countries?

Nigeria imports her refined fuel mainly from the USA. We have a single unified grade of between 87 to 90 octane rating.  Unfortunately, the octane rating of “premium unleaded fuel/petrol is 95. Do we have alternatives to premium unleaded gas? Interestingly, Nigerians love the good life, and those who can afford it are cruising around in luxurious cars and SUVs. 99% of luxurious vehicles require a “premium unleaded gas”. But then, we only have “regular unleaded gas in Nigeria and most developing countries. The questions that this article will address are as follows:

• What is a “premium unleaded gas/fuel?
• Benefits or importance of using a premium gas
• How can you tell if your vehicle requires premium gas or not?
• How can the people in the world’s developing countries, including Nigerians, access “premium unleaded gas”?
• What are the alternatives to premium unleaded gas?
• List of the best-performing octane boosters that can be used to upgrade your regular fuel

What is a premium unleaded gas?

It might seem like premium is the better fuel, and in terms of octane, it is, but that doesn’t mean your vehicle should receive it. For example, most Acuras use premium gas. Also, most Lexus follows the same path. This is not to mention the German machines such as modern Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volks, BMW, and so on. On the other hand, vehicles such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and similar low-performance engines utilize “regular unleaded fuel.

Some luxury cars from Ford and GM, such as the 2009 Lincoln MKS and the Cadillac STS, have been specifically manufactured to use regular unleaded. Even Toyota  Venza, up until 2015, used regular unleaded fuel.

Premium levels of octane are designed for aggressive, high-performance engines. Lower-performance engines don’t need premium fuel, and superior fuel generally isn’t going to do anything but waste your money. In extreme cases, you may call for trouble if you use premium gas in your lower-performance engines.

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How exactly to tell the type of fuel for your vehicle? Does it require premium gas or not?

Moving forward in our quest to get alternatives to premium unleaded gas. First, you must unravel how you can detect if your vehicle requires a “premium unleaded gas or not.”

In most states, premium gasoline is defined as a gas having an octane rating of 91 or 95 — regular typically has an octane rating of 87 to 90. But will using lower-grade gasoline hurt your car’s engine? This is an especially important question if you own a luxury car. Moreover, the manufacturers of most luxury vehicles recommend premium gas.

Where to check to determine if your car requires a “premium unleaded gas or not”?

1. Check your owner’s manual.
2. Check sites online for your vehicle’s specifications as regards fuel. I usually use Edmunds.
3. Check the label inside the fuel door. Open the fuel door. If you have a release lever or button inside your car, release the door to check. Look for a label on the fuel door or the fuel filler neck. Although, the label can peel off or become unreadable
4. Here’s another helpful hint: If your car takes premium, see whether the manufacturer “recommends” premium fuel or if it “requires” it. If it’s only a recommendation (as it will be in some cases), you can safely use regular unleaded fuel. However, you may take a minor hit on your engine performance.
5. If premium unleaded fuel is a requirement, you have to pay extra money for premium fuel every time you fill up. Otherwise, you will need to use supplements or what I call the alternatives to premium unleaded gas. This is because the car’s engine is precisely tuned for that grade of gas.
6. Alternatively, you can call or email your vehicle manufacturer’s support line. Ask an agent which type of fuel is right for your car. You’ll need to supply your year, make, model, and VIN for the agent to accurately answer your question.

Benefits or importance of using premium gas in cars that require one

Premium fuel is just a gas that contains a mixture of hydrocarbons that are slightly less combustible than those found in lower octane gas. This might seem odd since cars use internal combustion engines that rely on the combustibility of gasoline to make them go. So, why would you pay extra money for gas that doesn’t ignite quite as well as less expensive gas?

The answer is how expensive high-performance engines, the kind that you often find in most luxury cars are manufactured.

Why use premium gas for high-performance engines?

1. Firstly, in some instances, using premium fuel provides a significant horsepower boost, and if you’re buying a performance car, those benefits are probably worth it.
2. That extra horsepower will probably be helpful if you have a truck towing and/or hauling significant weight.
3. Especially, If you use the Audi that requires premium gas,  please go premium, or else you experience severe engine knock. If your car requires premium fuel, use it. You could experience significant knocks and detriments to performance and efficiency otherwise.
4. If your engine has an abnormal “pinging” or knocking noise when your engine is idling, and you are using regular-grade gasoline, you may need premium fuel.