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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – AAA The Auto Club Group has reported that American drivers waste more than $2.1 billion dollars in the last year by using premium-grade gasoline in vehicles used to run on regular fuel.

AAA Spokesman Gene LaDoucer reports in a release that fewer than one in five vehicles on the road require high octane fuel, while more than 70% are designed to operate on regular gasoline. A national survey revealed that 16.5 million U.S. drivers used premium gas in a vehicle designed for regular fuel at least once in the past year.

“AAA tested 87-octane (regular) and 93-octane (premium) gasoline in vehicles equipped with a V-8, V-6 or I4 engine designed to operate on regular-grade fuel,” LaDoucer reports. “To evaluate the effects of using a higher-octane fuel when it’s not required by the manufacturer, each vehicle was tested on a dynamometer, which is essentially a treadmill for cars.

For vehicles designed to run on regular-grade fuel, using premium gasoline did not produce more horsepower, result in better fuel economy or produce fewer tailpipe emissions. Premium gasoline is specifically formulated to be compatible with specific types of engine designs and most vehicles cannot take advantage of the higher octane rating.

“AAA advised drivers that premium gasoline is higher octane, not higher quality, and urges drivers to follow the owner’s manual recommendations for their vehicle’s fuel. While you may think you’re treating your vehicle by using a ‘premium’ fuel, you’re actually doing little more than throwing your money away”