Pain At The Pump? GM Says All Gas Needs To Be 95 Octane To Meet Emission Standards

GM is factually incorrect. Here are the facts:

1) Higher octane prevents detonation (AKA: pre-ignition, “ping,” or “knock”). Raise the compression ratio in a traditional gasoline engine, you need higher-octane gas.

2) Smart engine designers, like Honda, have figured out how to meet emissions regulations with engines that run on cheaper, regular gas. They don’t need the more expensive premium gas, nor do they benefit meaningfully from it.

3) Innovative engine designers – Mazda with their Skyactiv 2 HCCI engine (expected to be in production within 2 years) – allege to deliver more power, with considerably less fuel (around 30% less), and *dramatically* lower emissions. They run on low-octane gasoline. In fact, they run better with 84 octane, than the regular 87 available here.

It’s nice to know that there are amazing engineers who can, and do, design ICE engines that get great fuel economy, produce low emission, AND run on regular gas. What was GM saying again?

Smart engineers may have found how to meet CURRENT standards using low octane fuel. However - as we know - the standards will eventually get more and more stringent - since they will be compared with other less polluting options.

Clearly - GM is looking at one way to meet ever stronger standards - and that raising compression ratios MAY be one option. In the end - if that is the case - then higher octane gas will be required - and it will depend on ECONOMICS as to whether using other options will be as affordable.

Yes - it is nice that there are other options as well - we do not know if they work as efficiently or are as economical in comparison. AS is normally the case with advanced technology - the initial attempts often produce competing systems and it is likely that one will eventually win out.

Octane? What's octane? My car runs on kilowatt-hours, has no emissions.