Continuing the discussion from What happens politically if gas prices go through the roof?:
@wolfpup, I started a new thread so as to not hijack the prior one.
I thought summer blend meant cut with ethanol, why does that drive up the price?
I thought summer prices were higher due to demand due to increased travel.
Higher demand is indeed part of the reason, but summer blend gasoline is indeed different and more expensive because of more expensive additives. Winter blend is more volatile because it contains butane which is relatively cheap but makes for easier starting in cold weather.
Winter gas contains butane, a relatively cheap additive that helps cars start faster and run better in colder weather. In the summer, butane is left out in favour of alkylates, which burn cleaner but are more expensive to produce …
… De Haan said the additional cost to consumers of switching to summer gas is around 10 to 15 cents per litre. However, the hike could be more or less depending on the precise blend used in a particular year or region.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/summer-gas-price-transition-1.7218212
ETA: Fixed quote for accuracy.
Thank you, I did not know that.