Drive slower, go electric, don't drive at all? The best options for saving gas
A customer pumps gas into his car at a Chevron station on May 4 in Los Angeles, Calif. Gas prices have surged to a 4-year high, as tensions in the Middle East continue. Gasoline in California is over $6 a gallon. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America The national average for a gallon of gasoline is $4.55, according to AAA; that's a four-year high, unwelcome news for drivers as the U.S. heads into one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. AAA estimates a record 45 million Americans will travel this weekend, despite high prices for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Loading... Gasoline prices have been elevated since the start of the war in Iran, and there's no sign of relief on the horizon. High prices are angering voters and straining household budgets. In California, which has the highest gasoline prices in the nation, Gov. Gavin Newsom is openly feuding with the oil giant Chevron, discouraging Californians from filling up at its stations. Chevron and the state have been in a tense relationship for years; Chevron moved its headquarters out of California in 2024 after complaining about state and local regulations, and is currently buying oil shipped through an offshore pipeline that California has attempted to keep shut down. In the latest salvos, Chevron has posted placards at California gas stations blaming state policies for the high prices, while Newsom's office is telling Californians they can get cheaper gas at unbranded stations. Californians, if you’re hitting the road this holiday weekend, be sure to AVOID Chevron.Pro tip: unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines, and it meets the same state standards to keep your engine running clean, even if it doesn’t have a fancy… pic.twitter.com/FMTnNHE0Bn— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) May 21, 2026 But where does all this leave drivers? Despite high prices, most Americans are unwilling, or unable, to give up on driving. Americans have been logging more miles since the war with Iran started, according to the analytics company Arity, which tracks driving habits. What can you do to cut costs? We asked the experts for ideas. Drive smoothly. Pay less The key to getting the most miles out of each gallon is driving efficiently. That means smooth acceleration, soft braking and slowing down. Underinflated tires, heavy boxes in the back seat and an unused ski or luggage rack on the top of the vehicle can also make it less fuel efficient. Some high-performance vehicles require premium gasoline. But if it's only recommended, you can skip it without damaging the car, according to Consumer Reports' deputy auto editor, Jonathan Linkov. "All cars, except the most esoteric supercars or older cars, can run fine on regular," said Linkov. Are you considering going electric? Data suggests that higher gasoline prices have many drivers at least thinking about giving up gas-powered cars altogether. But the data on sales isn't so clear-cut. New-EV sales are still depressed following the abrupt end of a $7,500 federal consumer tax credit last fall. It's also tax refund season, which can push up car sales of all types, compared with the previous month. CarGurus reports that used-EV sales did seem to accelerate in the month of March, and Cox Automotive reports strong prices for used EVs at wholesale auction, noting that rising gas prices "may have positively influenced demand." On the other hand, data from the sites iSeeCars.com showed no appreciable shift in used-EV sales. It's not surprising to see a rise in shoppers' interest before a rise in actual sales, especially for a purchase as significant as a vehicle. "What consumers are viewing on the site tends to be an earlier indicator than sales," says Kevin Roberts, the director of economic and market intelligence with CarGurus. But analysts note that high gasoline prices do motivate shoppers to select for
