Click to enlarge.
Today, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released monthly motor fuels prices for April 2026. The news was grim for U.S motorists, confirming the trend under the Trump mis-administration.
“In April 2026, the average price for regular motor gasoline was $4.10 per gallon; up 12.8% from March 2026 and up 29.4% from April 2025, BTS said. “The average price for diesel no. 2 was $5.50 in April 2026, up 11.8% from March 2026, and up 54.2% from April 2025,” BTS said.
“The largest energy supply shock in history is still unfolding. Petroleum and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have risen significantly since February 28, and many analysts expect them to continue to climb. Fuel shortages in some countries have led to rationing, shutting schools and workplaces.
“Necessity, as the old saying would have it, is giving birth to invention. But in emergencies, options are limited. Fuel-switching, such as coal for liquefied natural gas (LNG), is feasible in some places. Others must make do with coping strategies like turning off computers during lunch breaks (Philippines), limiting private vehicle operations to alternate days (Myanmar), or allowing workers to wear shirt sleeves in less-cooled offices (Thailand).
“Another old saying: chance favors the prepared mind. Emergency stockpiles have helped to buffer the shock. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which was created in response to the 1973 energy crisis to perform precisely this function, coordinated the largest stockpile release in history. Yet, stockpiles are dwindling as prices continue to move upward,” said David M. Hart Senior Fellow for Climate and Energy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). [He is also a professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government – AutoCrat.]
By region, the average price for regular motor gasoline in April 2026 was and year-over-year change:
- West Coast: $5.38 (up 26.5%)
- Central Atlantic: $4.08 (up 30.1%)
- New England: $3.98 (up 35.3%)
- Rocky Mountain: $3.94 (up 25.6%)
- Lower Atlantic: $3.86 (up 30.5%)
- Midwest: $3.83 (up 26.5%)
- Gulf Coast: $3.71 (up 35.2%)
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
BTS – April 2026 Fuel Prices Soaring for U.S. End Users!
Click to enlarge.
Today, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released monthly motor fuels prices for April 2026. The news was grim for U.S motorists, confirming the trend under the Trump mis-administration.
“In April 2026, the average price for regular motor gasoline was $4.10 per gallon; up 12.8% from March 2026 and up 29.4% from April 2025, BTS said. “The average price for diesel no. 2 was $5.50 in April 2026, up 11.8% from March 2026, and up 54.2% from April 2025,” BTS said.
“The largest energy supply shock in history is still unfolding. Petroleum and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have risen significantly since February 28, and many analysts expect them to continue to climb. Fuel shortages in some countries have led to rationing, shutting schools and workplaces.
“Necessity, as the old saying would have it, is giving birth to invention. But in emergencies, options are limited. Fuel-switching, such as coal for liquefied natural gas (LNG), is feasible in some places. Others must make do with coping strategies like turning off computers during lunch breaks (Philippines), limiting private vehicle operations to alternate days (Myanmar), or allowing workers to wear shirt sleeves in less-cooled offices (Thailand).
“Another old saying: chance favors the prepared mind. Emergency stockpiles have helped to buffer the shock. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which was created in response to the 1973 energy crisis to perform precisely this function, coordinated the largest stockpile release in history. Yet, stockpiles are dwindling as prices continue to move upward,” said David M. Hart Senior Fellow for Climate and Energy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). [He is also a professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government – AutoCrat.]
By region, the average price for regular motor gasoline in April 2026 was and year-over-year change:
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.