Michigan Drivers: What is Summer Gas and Why is it More Expensive

Gas prices tend to go up as the weather gets nicer, right? You've noticed, I've noticed, and we've always thought the gas companies were just taking advantage of us.

But it turns out, there's actual science behind it.

Gas Prices: Lots of Rumors and Old Wives' Tales

Rumors of greedy gas companies gouging customers are as old as - well, maybe not quite as old as - the gas engine, and the Model T, which date back to 1886 and 1908, respectively.

It's often been believed that oil companies want to get richer, so they take advantage of the fact that more drivers are on the road in the summer months, and the belief that most drivers are willing to pay whatever gas stations are charging.

A Brief History Lesson

And as a side note, while many of us may think of Henry Ford as the Father of the automobile, he isn't the inventor of the gasoline engine. That distinction goes to Car Benz who obtained a patent for his vehicle powered by a gas engine in 1886. Ford pioneered the mass manufacturing process, which actually made automobiles affordable for the masses. (To this day, affordable remains a relative term.)

The Science Behind Summer Gas

There is a difference between the gas you buy in the summer and the gas you buy in the winter. Each spring, gas stations transition from selling winter-grade fuel to selling summer-grade fuel, and because this fuel is more expensive to produce, it's the reason behind the annual price hike.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began the Reformulated Gasoline Program (RFG) in 1995, requiring gas stations to carry the summer-grade fuel. This gas is formulated to reduce pollution and smog output during the summer ozone season when more vehicles are on the road.

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The EPA designates April to June as the "transition season" for fuel production and requires gas stations to switch to selling summer blends by June 1 of each year.

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