U.S. — The average price of premium gasoline in the U.S. surpassed US$5.40 per gallon for several days in spring 2026. Premium gasoline currently costs approximately US$1 more per gallon than regular gasoline. Historically, the price difference was about 20 cents per gallon. That difference grew to 40 cents in 2015, then 60 cents in 2018, and exceeded 80 cents in 2022. The wholesale price gap between premium and regular gasoline increased by 20 cents per gallon from 2007 to 2026, while the retail price gap widened by 70 cents per gallon over the last two decades.

Premium gasoline accounted for approximately 13 percent of total fuel sales in the U.S. in 2025, an increase from 9 percent in 2013, according to Lipow Oil Associates. By 2018, the number of new car models requiring or recommending premium gasoline had surpassed those recommending regular gasoline, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

A 2016 study by AAA determined that premium gasoline provided no benefit to cars engineered for 87-octane regular gasoline. Octane measures fuel stability and resistance to knocking, and higher octane levels do not increase a car's speed. "Al consumidor le gusta poner gasolina premium en su automóvil porque cree que le proporciona un mejor rendimiento," said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. Lipow added, "Es una cuestión de marketing."

Two federal regulations enacted in the mid-2000s required automobile manufacturers to reduce sulfur emissions. Reducing sulfur in gasoline decreases its octane level. Refineries add ethanol to premium gasoline blends to maintain higher octane levels. The Environmental Protection Agency also mandated the use of detergent additives in gasoline in 1996.

Tom Kloza, an independent oil analyst, said, "Las personas que necesitan usar gasolina premium no son las que se preocupan por pagarla."