Wyoming’s average cost of gas increased Tuesday by 4.2 cents per gallon over the previous 24 hours to average $4.07 per gallon.
The website GasBuddy.com, which tracks national gas prices, reported Wyoming’s average gas price is up 5.7 cents per gallon, over a week ago and has increased by $1.17 per gallon from one year ago.
Wyoming’s average price for gasoline remained below the national average of $4.095 for a gallon of regular.
High and Low Prices:
The highest gasoline price in Wyoming on Tuesday as in Wheatland at $4.59 per gallon. The lowest reported price was $3.73 at the M.G. Oil Company in Gillette.
The counties with the highest average price on Tuesday wee Fremont and Park counties at $4.17. Albany County had the lowest average price at $3.86.
Today’s Big Movers:
Douglas, up 11 cents per gallon, Teton County, down 28 cents, and Park County, up 15 cents per gallon.
*The average price per gallon of regular in each Wyoming county:
Albany $3.82; Big Horn $4.05; Campbell $3.85; Carbon $4.00; Converse $3.89; Crook $4.05; Fremont $4.17; Goshen $3.90; Hot Springs $4.10; Johnson $4.00; Laramie $3.96; Lincoln $4.05; Natrona $3.93; Niobrara $4.10; Park $4.17; Platte $4.05; Sheridan $4.05; Sweetwater $4.12; Sublette $4.05; Teton $4.12; Uinta $4.05; Washakie $4.05; Weston: $3.94
*The lowest price per gallon, reported in major Wyoming cities:
Basin $4.13; Buffalo $3.94; Casper $3.85; Cheyenne $3.91; Cody $4.18; Douglas $3.89; Evanston $4.29; Gillette $3.73; Jackson $4.37; Kemmerer $4.28; Laramie $3.79; Lusk $3.99; Newcastle $3.86; Pinedale NO REPORT; Rawlins $3.99; Riverton $3.98; Rock Springs $4.06; Sheridan $3.92; Sundance $3.97; Thermopolis $4.07; Wheatland $3.89; Worland $4.07.
Tim’s Observations:
There are a lot of people out there pushing electric vehicles and a lot of interest despite the negative press. But it’s just interest at this point.
Electric vehicle sales haven’t really gone up that much. A lot of the hesitation to buy is from what’s called “range anxiety” — concerns about how far a car can travel on a charge and anxiety over finding a charger when needed so the driver isn’t stranded in the middle of nowhere.
In fairness, that can happen with an empty gas tank as well. Most roadside assistance programs will bring you a few gallons of gas, or charge you up enough to get you to a place to top off.
America’s infrastructure isn’t ready yet to implement an electrified transportation network. That is something that can change.
EV range is also increasing every year and charge times are getting quicker.
The Tesla Model 3 and the Ford Mach E both get 345 miles per charge. Some of the coming new crop of EVs can be charged to 80% in the time it takes to go into the convenience store and grab a Slurpee.
With conventional engines and EV fast becoming equal in convenience, what is the over all comparison? Let’s look at three factors, vehicle cost, maintenance, and cost per mile to fuel vs. charge.
According to Kelly Blue Book, $56,437 is the average cost of an EV, while the average cost of a comparable conventional sedan is $42,458, about a $14,000 difference.
However, if you are looking to swap one for the other, there are two more factors to consider.
According to AAA, electric vehicles do not require as much maintenance as a conventional vehicle, since they don’t require an oil changes or air filters, tune-ups and other similar services. If maintained according to the automakers’ recommendations, electric vehicles cost $949 less per year to maintain than gas-powered cars.
To get you down the road, whether it’s by charging or filling up with gas, there’s a cost per mile to get you from A to B.
According to one 3-year test conducted by Car & Driver magazine, you can expect costs to range from 6.6 cents to 8.53 cents per mile for an EV, although the cost van top 11 cents per mile if you opt for a fast charge.
With the current average price of gasoline running $4.10 per gallon, the expected price per mile is around 10.7 cents. This is during a price spike. When gas prices were one-third lower than today, that cost per mile would be practically the same as the most economical EV, with all the convenience of a complete fuel infrastructure.
To be honest, this is simplified overview of costs. There are a lot of other factors to consider when it comes to energy cost, convenience, and purchase price. When looking at the cost of any vehicle, it’s best to look as a long term average rather than what it costs today. Tomorrow is guaranteed to be a completely different story.
*Note: Prices in this report are for reference only. They are gathered just prior to posting, and may not reflect prices that have changed since last posted.