Gasoline prices in North America
Virtually all gas stations in North America announce their usually changing prices in large indicator signs, due to the very competitive market in which they operate.
In the US and Canada taxes are usually already included in the final price. Gasoline taxes are usually used for the maintenance of existing roads, or the construction of new roads.
The States of California and Hawaii almost always have the highest gasoline prices. In Canada, the highest prices are found in the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec and the lowest in the oil-producing provinces (for example, Alberta). The provinces of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland have laws regulating gasoline prices. Because of this, Prince Edward Island has become the province with the lowest price in all of Canada.
Individual gas stations in the US don't have much control over their prices. The raw price is determined depending on the company that provides the fuel, and prices are mostly determined by the international price of oil.
In Mexico, since the parastatal Pemex controls all the oil, there are an infinite number of types of service stations. For example, in large cities (such as Mexico City) there is a gas station on almost every corner with different formats depending on the area of the city in which it is located and very modernized, while in some towns (such as San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas) there are gas stations only on roads and they are somewhat archaic. Although all stations already have digital pumps, some recent and others with backward technology, but almost all of them are already digital. However, thanks to the energy reform of 2013, it is now possible to see service stations of own and transnational brands such as Shell, Gulf Oil Corporation, Mobil, Texaco, Arco, Hidrosina"), La Gas"), Total, BP, Repsol, Chevron, among others that already generate competition for PEMEX in terms of liquid fuels between regular and premium grade gasoline as well as diesel, thus increasing the supply to which there is access in the country, being both supplied by Pemex to transnational and local brands as well as importing fuel from abroad.[15].
For toll highways and free roads, gas stations can be located a certain number of kilometers away, either near toll booths or towns that also have convenience stores and some also have a restaurant, making it possible to be a road oasis and rest area. Some of the most popular can be found on the Mexico-Querétaro Highway, Puebla Veracruz, and other important highway sections.
Also on the northern border it is common to see self-service gas stations similar to the low-cost ones in the United States, while in the rest of Mexico gas stations have personnel who dispense fuel whether they are large or small stations. It is also common to see convenience stores in some of the stations (mainly Oxxo, 7-Eleven and Extra).
Currently, some gas stations already have a quality badge called Pemex Cualli which indicates to the end user that that service station is 100% reliable in terms of the price and origin of the product, additional forms of payment such as consumer cards, debit and credit card vouchers, strict volume controls, new technology dispensers approved by current law among other measures which today try to regain confidence in the Mexican consumer.
Previously, gas stations could only supply oils, additives and other automotive chemicals manufactured by the brand created by the parastatal company called Brio and later Mexlub, limiting other national and foreign brands to supermarkets, mechanical workshops and automotive service centers. After a series of controversies and reforms to the laws in force for service stations, we can now also find oils and additives from different foreign and national brands such as Bardahl, Esso, Shell, Elf, Chevron, etc.
Urban, suburban and interurban passenger transportation companies located in cities and some areas may have a self-consumption station in their facilities to purchase fuel in large quantities to be able to use it as required, and not have to depend on other service stations. As an example of companies with service stations for self-consumption we have the RTP, some companies of the Metrobús service (Mexico City) "Metrobús (Mexico City)"), Grupo Metropolitano de Transporte S.A. de C.V., Sistecozome, Transmasivo among others that may exist in the Mexican Republic, on the contrary, microbuses and concessioned buses, since they do not have an organization equal to a company, can refuel at any fuel station close to their route or home. The fuel is generally refilled at the end of the operator's shift, who delivers the unit to the owner with "the account" and his portion that will depend on the owner of the unit.
Service stations and their prices can be seen on the platform of the Energy Regulatory Commission (https://www.cre.gob.mx/ConsultaPrecios/GasolinasyDiesel/GasolinasyDiesel.html), which allows searches according to their geographical location.
In relation to Vehicular Natural Gas, it can be said that here any company can put its brand on a service station dedicated to this fuel. Companies such as Drako-Móvil, Gazel, Regio Gas and other companies have already opened service stations in large cities and other areas. However, as natural gas in private vehicles is not very widespread, the users of these are minibuses and fleets that have converted their vehicles to use this fuel. In the same way, Pemex also raises the possibility of supplying natural gas in their seasons.