The results are in: 68% of Charlotte drivers would travel at least 10 miles for cheap gas
The Charlotte Observer asked how far you’d travel for cheaper gas in Charlotte, with the current average price up to $4.63 as of Tuesday.
Out of nearly two dozen respondents, 68 percent said they would travel 10 miles or less for a deal. A few respondents said they wouldn’t go out of their way at all while others said it would depend on how much they’d save.
Some respondents even did the math on how much they’d save driving out of their way for bargains.
“It’s not worth driving out of my way to save a few cents per gallon,” one respondent wrote. “My truck holds 36 gallons. Even from empty, let’s say someone had it for 20 cents cheaper. That would be close to $7. How much is your time worth? I’m not going out of my way.”
Another respondent explained driving to a gas station with cheaper prices would depend on the mileage it takes to get there.
“Let’s say my car gets 30 miles per gallon and needs 10 gallons of gas,” the respondent said. “The gas station closest to me is priced at $4.50 per gallon, but I know another station is selling at $4.35 per gallon. The 15-cent difference means I’d save $1.50 on 10 gallons of gas, which equals a third of a gallon from the closest station. At 30 miles per gallon, a third of a gallon of gas equals 10 miles, which means if the station selling gas at $4.35 a gallon is less than 10 miles round trip for me, then it’s worth the drive.”
While South Carolina generally has cheaper gas than North Carolina, one respondent said driving across the state line would be pointless since the prices at a few Charlotte gas stations nearby are relatively low.
“Driving to SC isn’t worth it anymore. Costco usually has the lowest prices in the area,” the respondent said.
Where is the cheapest gas in Charlotte?
A Charlotte Observer investigation found that Pineville and its surroundings – ZIP code 28134 – has the lowest average gas prices on Thursday, Friday and Monday. The average there sat around $4.35 last week, though it climbed to $4.48 on Monday.
Sam’s Club and BJ’s, both wholesale stores, have members-only gas stations on Carolina Place Parkway in Pineville. Both charge less than other fuel brands, keeping that ZIP code’s average price lower. According to GasBuddy, both stations were charging $4.37 per gallon on Tuesday.
Gas stations in South End, Dilworth, Carmel and neighborhoods near Rea and Colony roads (ZIP codes 28203 and 28226) had the highest average prices last week. On Tuesday, prices in both ZIP codes ranged from $4.57 to $4.69, GasBuddy price data show.
Observer staff writers Gabe Castro-Root, Lorenza Medley and Charlotte Kramon contributed to this report.
