Most Expensive and Cheapest Gas Prices around the World

Argh, Gas Prices! Even though gas prices have come down over the past few weeks, let's be honest… it is still “Pain at the Pump” for most drivers out on the road.

High gas prices causes us to do crazy things. Such as carpooling to work with that guy you hate, drinking less with friends, and not buying frivolous items over the Internet. You also generally plan your car trips more carefully. Does the price of gas justify you going to the mall today?

We Americans complain about how bad gas prices are here, but my automotive colleagues in European countries such as the UK feel the pain all the time. I want you to think of how large a quart is for a second. Across the Atlantic they pay for fuel by the liter, which is about the same size as a quart. The average price for a liter of fuel is $2.16 and you need four liters roughly to make a gallon. That means it would cost on average around $8.64 a gallon in the UK… ouch!

The current average price for a gallon of gas in the US, according to the US Energy Information Administration, is $3.56. Don't you love America? 🙂

The simple reality though is that most of us have to drive and use our cars, no matter the price of gas here or in Europe. We are slaves to those posted prices at gas stations. The only way around this would be if you owned a refinery (of course if you owned a refinery you probably are not reading this and if you are, thank you!)

Even though I feel for the British, because they need to pay some ridiculously high gas prices, in some countries it could be worse. While gas prices are crazy high, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) over in the UK is relatively high. According to the World Bank's data it is roughly $35,600 per capita in the UK. That means while yes gas is expensive, incomes somewhat match the high fuel prices.

Where might getting gas be even more painful? If you lived in the African country of Eritrea (Yes, this was a Wikipedia lookup) where GDP is roughly $700 per year, filling your tank would eat-up a huge amount of your income. How much? Roughly 12.12% of an average Eritrean's budget would go to a 10 gallon tank costing on average $84.90 in US dollars. Compared to the UK where it would only be a paltry 0.24% of GDP per year at $94.27 for that same 10 gallon tank, prices don't seem quite as bad.

This lead me to determine that Eritrea is “The Most Expensive Country to Buy Fuel.” While Norway ranks the top of the list according to most rankings, Norwegians also have a very high GDP ($53,300) putting them 5th on my list.

Where would it be least expensive to get gas in the world? According to the British Insurance Agency Staveley Head Venezuela has the cheapest fuel prices in the world. A gallon of gas would cost you on average a paltry 18 cents, meaning 10 gallons would be $1.80. That same amount of money would not even buy half a gallon in the US. In the UK it would not be enough to even move your car 300 feet!

Moral of the story, you better learn some Spanish and move to Venezuela if you want to buy some cheap gas. I can only imagine all the fun Venezuelans have in their cars when they don't need to worry about gas prices. Unfortunately, in most of the world we do.

Countries with the Most Expensive Gas Prices

1. Eritrea – $700 – $84.90 – 12.12%
2. Greece – $27,600 – $87.60 – 0.31%
3. Italy – $30,100 – $88 – 0.29%
4. Britain – $35,600 – $94.27 – 0.24%
5. Norway – $53,300 – $99.04 – 0.18%

Countries with the Cheapest Gas Prices

1. Venezuela $10,700 (GDP) – $1.80 (10 gallons) – 0.01% of annual GDP
2. Bahrain $27,300 – $7.80 – 0.02 %
3. Libya – $14,100 – $5.40 – 0.03%
4. Saudi Arabia – $17,200 – $8.00 – 0.04%
5. Turkmenistan – $6,900 – $7.20 – 0.10% or
6. Qatar – $93,700 – $11.31 – 0.10%

Remember this list according to GDP and gas prices, so it is different than other gas price lists you might see.

What do you think about my gas price list? Think my math is whack? Want to tell me what you think? Please leave a comment below and let me know!

What can you say about the new 2013 Ford Explorer? In a nutshell it is the new redesigned Ford Explorer and is the synthesis of an American SUV with European styling and handling. The interior was nice and well appointed which made me feel I was in a luxury Lincoln. Makes you wonder what Ford will do with the Lincoln version of it. The model I had was a beautiful black and pretty brown leather seats. The 2013 Explorer Sport has some nice features but the re-engineering is what won me.

Ford's head engineer on the 2013 Ford Explorer emphasized that have improved to make a stiffer body with reinforcements in key structural areas. Under the two fronts seats where they attached to the floor, there is a bar that stiffens the body, right across the transmission tunnel. There is another stiffening bar behind the front shocks that is also behind the engine.

What was interesting to hear is that Ford Explorer weight split is 60/40 vehicle but the drivetrain can go into pure 50/50. There is a convenient knob on the central console where you can select Desert, Forest and Ice mode, each giving you more or less torque if different driving conditions.

Although you sit high, as with any other SUV, it felt responsive and tight… at least tighter than any other SUV I've driven. I would imagine the Porsche and Maserati could easily out handle the 2013 Ford Explorer, but not its price. It's a SUV and has limits but more than a few BMWs on twisty roads were surprised by the powerful SUV keeping pace with their German vehicles. Worse case handling scenario, the rear has a hard time understanding what the front is doing but obliges willingly and follows the curve.

Purist will hate the paddle shifting mounted on the steering wheel instead of the column, but I suspect 90% of its clientele won't know or care what paddle shifters are or even bother to use them. I found myself a few times coming out of a curve wanting to shift but not being able to figure out which paddle was up or down. One very nice touch are the good looking 20-inch wheels with “Sport” engraved in them. The brakes have been generously upgraded for the Sport version for the extra power.

All in all, this is yet another Ford achievement as the company positions itself to compete with the more power and performance oriented SUV market, but at an affordable price. I found the SUV easy to drive in traffic and even fun to bounce around canyon roads. The engine comes alive at over 3,000 but not once will it intrude inside your plush felt cabin. The only thing you will hate on the road if you own a Sport version is to see an older Explorer in front of you heavily braking at every curves. This SUV is meant to go fast, cruise around town and everything in between.

Tag: european