Why premium gas in Quebec now costs 26 cents more than regular

Filling up the tank has long been costly in Quebec, a province that consistently posts some of the highest gas prices in Canada.

But for drivers whose vehicles need premium or super fuel, the financial hit is getting even steeper.

According to Statistics Canada, the average price difference between regular and premium gas has widened dramatically over the past two decades. In 2005, premium fuel cost about 5.3 cents more per litre. By 2015, the gap had jumped to just over 14 cents. Today, drivers are paying about 26 cents more per litre for premium.

Premium gas has always been more expensive than regular gas. But why is the gap so much larger now than it used to be?

Mechanic Adriano Colafabio says one key factor is the rising number of turbocharged engines on the road.

“One of the requirements of having a turbo charged engine is that you should be putting premium,” he explained.

With turbo engines much more common in newer vehicles than they were 20 years ago, demand for premium fuel has increased.

“Putting a lower octane fuel in, there might be a pre ignition, which is not ideal for higher compression engines,” Colafabio said.

Government policy is also playing a role. The Quebec government has changed fuel standards, requiring that regular gasoline contain up to 5 per cent more ethanol by 2030.

That has some drivers worried about potential performance issues, leading them to switch to premium, which contains less ethanol.

“That vehicle will run. Its peak performance, however, will be somewhat lessened by such a large maximum allowance of ethanol in our fuel,” said Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy.

With more vehicles running on premium and others turning to it over ethanol concerns, demand continues to climb — and so does the price difference, meaning the widening gap in Quebec gas prices is unlikely to shrink anytime soon.