It is important to understand one concept first. The octane ratings at the pump indicate the likelihood that gasoline will spontaneously burn when it is mixed with compressed air. This phenomenon is also known as knocking, or pinging. The greater the rating, it is less likely that it will happen.
In most parts of the country, 87 has the lowest octane rating. It is considered regular gasoline. However, this is not the case in Colorado or other nearby states like Utah and Wyoming where 85 octane fuel is considered regular and 87 mid-grade.
This is due to altitude, according to Mahesh Albuquerque (director of Colorados Division of Oil and Public Safety, Department of Labor and Employment). Lower-octane gasolines are less dense at higher elevations. This reduces the possibility of engine knocking.
The Coordinating Research Council, a non-profit supported by the petroleum industry and the automotive industries, found that 85 octane gasoline used at 5,000 feet was more efficient than using 87 at sea level in a 2015 study.
Albuquerque stated that 85 octane was better at elevation than 87 at sea level.
Albuquerque stated that Colorado’s Division of Oil and Public Safety recommends that vehicle owners fill up their tanks with the type of gasoline indicated in the owners manual. A lower rating could cause engine knocking and other problems.
It is less clear whether 85 octane pollutes more that 87.
The Coordinating Research Council study found no statistical significance in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions at high altitudes of 85 to 87 octane.
However, there are caveats to this finding. According to the study, carbon monoxide emissions are also affected by other factors like a car’s combustion process and drivers’ behavior. According to the council, there are no studies that show an increase in exhaust emissions if a car recommends using 87 octane gasoline. Instead, a car can use 85 octane.
Vehicles built after 1984 have the same requirements for octane at all altitudes. The study’s authors suggested that this means gas stations do not need to supply 85 octane. The researchers concluded that more research was necessary.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had stated that it would, however Higher-octane fuels are requiredIn the future new emission standardsThe agency released this week a report that focuses on the growth of electric vehicles.
The United States continues to be dominated by gasoline-powered vehicles, even in Colorado, where regular 85 octane gasoline is still available. Other gasoline far outpaces itAccording to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (US Energy Information Administration), blends can be used.
With passenger vehicles responsible More than half the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are caused by human activityIt is evident that cleaning our air in transportation requires more than raising the octane ratings of the pumps.