Feeling at the pump? AAA says there’s no exact timetable for when rates could drop

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii gas prices are about $1.40 higher than the national average of $5.22 a gallon.

That price compares favorably to California, where drivers cough up about $6 a gallon on average. However, considering some places on the mainland, like Texas, where they see prices closer to $3.30, that’s still a lot.

AAA’s Doug Shupe explains why drivers pay so much in Hawaii.

“Hawaii is a little different. There are a few local refineries that produce, but there are also a lot of imports that come in from other places like Alaska, Asia, the Caribbean and South America. To get those imports to the Hawaiian Islands more time is needed,” Shupe said.

Hawaii has always paid more than the national average because things are more expensive here. But since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, global economic instability has pushed up oil prices. In addition, there is inflation.

Regardless of the cause, most drivers in Hawaii feel it badly.

But is that enough to get them to change their habits, such as switching to electric or alternative ways of getting around?

“Oh, definitely. Yeah, that (electricity) is actually one of our ultimate goals — that’s the direction we want to go. So we’re getting close to the end of the lease with this deal, and that’s definitely our next choice, which is going to be an electric car. was,” said Jesse Madore, who lives and commutes from Salt Lake.

Other drivers say they would hesitate to pass.

“It’s possible, but at the moment it’s expensive, and more expensive than a regular car. After all, we can’t save on electricity, you have to have fuel,” said another driver.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden announced an additional 15 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and plans to produce more oil this winter.

It’s hard to say whether this will significantly reduce prices.

“The reality is, nobody knows and there are a lot of factors that go into determining the price of gas,” Shupe said.

“For example, say an unplanned refinery maintenance that shuts down something that causes prices to rise in a particular area, it’s very difficult to predict where prices will be a week or a month from now.”

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