Look. It costs too much to drive right now.
You know it. I know it. The headlines are screaming about it.
Memorial Day is coming. You’re going on a road trip, probably. Maybe to visit family. Maybe for a barbecue. It doesn’t matter why you’re moving, the point is that your tank is going to cost you more than it has in four years. AAA finally put numbers to the pain you’re feeling at the pump.
Here is what is happening.
As of last Thursday, regular gasoline sits at $4.56 per gallon. Up three cents from last week. That’s barely a whisper. The real sting comes when you compare it to April, where we paid $0.50 less for the same amount of liquid. Look back a year? We were at $3.18. The math isn’t kind to you.
We’ve seen these numbers before. 2022 saw gas peak over $5 a gallon. Right now demand is up. Supply is down. Classic economics. Boring. Painful.
The national average feels low compared to where you live, depending on where that is. California drivers are paying an average of $6.14 per gallon. That hurts. Washington is $5.64. Oregon is $5.35. Hawaii and Alaska are not far behind at $5.64 and $5.27.
If you want cheap gas, look south.
Mississippi. Georgia. Louisiana. Texas. Prices hover just over the $4 mark. Heading to the Indy 500? Fill up in Indiana where it averages $4.04 before you drive home. Save your money.
Meanwhile, electric vehicle owners are laughing at your pain. Or maybe they just don’t feel it.
Public charging costs 41 cents per kWh on average. Charge at home? 18 cents per kWh.
Why do they do that to us?
High gas prices haven’t yet moved the needle on new EV sales in the U.S. Not really. But the used market? That is waking up. Lease returns are flooding the market, prices are dropping, and suddenly going electric feels less like a gamble and more like a savings hack.
If you have two cars in the driveway, leave the gas guzzler parked. Use the battery car. If you only have a combustion engine, you are stuck with it.
Drive slower.
Stop launching like you’re in a movie. Keep highway speeds reasonable. You knew you should do this anyway. Also, check your tires. Underinflation eats miles per gallon silently. Look at your door jamb. Find the recommended pressure. Check it. It’s free money you’re leaving on the table every week.
AAA says relief is not coming. Not soon.
Your summer road trip is going to cost a lot. The Griswolds might want to rethink Wally World this year.
The prices are staying high. The pump is staying full of dollars. We drive anyway.
