Oxygenated Gasolines and Fuel Economy
The U.S. government requires the use of oxygenated gasoline in some areas in the wintertime to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in the air. The oxygenates raise the cost of making gasoline and lower the miles you can drive per gallon. This Bulletin explains how oxygenated gasoline will affect your car's fuel economy and identifies other factors which could make the effect seem larger than it is.
Summary
Oxygenated gasoline will lower your car's fuel economy 2% to 3% because oxygenates contain less energy than conventional gasoline. If you experience a larger decrease, there are probably other contributing factors: change to winter weather, change from summer to winter gasoline, and/or changes in the car's driving cycle or mechanical condition. When they act in concert, these changes can decrease fuel economy more than oxygenated gasoline does.
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