Autoblog

With gas prices exceeding $4 per gallon, it's no surprise that fuel stealing is on the rise. What's amazing is the lengths to which thieves are willing to go to swindle the pricey commodity in larger-than-normal quantities. An Orlando man was recently arrested for having a hidden, professionally welded 800-gallon gas tank retrofitted to a Ford truck that police say was expressly used for stealing petrol. The man also had a key that disables pump meters, which should scare the hell out of gas station owners.

He was caught after a Hess gas station attendant became suspicious of the inordinate amount of time he was spending pump-side and called the police. Law enforcement officials say that due to the elaborate setup of the gas-stealing truck and the theif's possession of the pump meter-disabling key, he is likely one part of a larger gas-stealing syndicate that resells the fuel for profit. It isn't surprising that some unscrupulous folks would be attracted to the possibility of netting $3,200 in about a half hour, but since they are going to so much trouble to remain undetected, you'd think they wouldn't try to steal all the gas at once. Thanks for the tip, Eric!

[Source: Local6]

In Dallas, a businessman has spent half a million dollars to install nine pumps that dispense E85, E10, and biodiesel. The catch: the businessman is a HUMMER dealer, and the pumps are next to his dealership. The station is called Classic Clean Fuels, and it is intended to make a statement for next year's H2 and H2 SUT, which will be the first production models to be Flex-fuel capable.

You won't need to drive a HUMMER to get E85 at the station. The pumps are open to the public, a first for a dealer-owned gas station. By 2010, GM has said all HUMMERs will be biofuel-capable. GM plans to market 15 Flexfuel models next year, but only one percent of the country's service stations sell E85. GM is using that as an opportunity to open the public's (and dealers') minds to putting alternative fuel stations in alternative places.

Said GM's Larry Burns, "Down the road we may even want to consider hydrogen dispensers at dealerships."

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

Shell's PR people appear to have a handle on how best to exploit the company's relationship with Scuderia Ferrari. Whether it's the spine-tingling spot that depicts historic Ferrari grand prix cars running on the streets in famous locales, or the very amusing "What will Schumi do next?" series (there were two spots), the videos offer a pleasant respite from the daily grind.

Today we got word that Shell's back at it, and its new viral video star is Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. In the spot above, Massa's diminutive Fiat leaves a pair of musclecar drivers speechless, and in the one we've pasted after the jump, Felipe interacts with customers at a gas station via a hidden camera/closed-circuit TV setup. His challenge to them: imitate the sound of a racing Ferrari. Suffice to say, Michael Winslow's career is secure.

[Source: Shell via YouTube]

Not too long ago, the 8-foot tall orange Union 76 globes towering over gas stations could be found almost as easily as a Starbucks can today. But as those stations were renovated or as new ones were built, the glowing balls were taken down and newly built outlets got more conventional (i.e. cheaper) signage. After being acquired several times, the Union 76 brand ended up in ConocoPhillips' ever-growing portfolio. And that's when trouble started. Conoco's marketing department embarked on a mission to overhaul the 76 image and mandated that all surviving 76 balls be taken down. Automobilia collectors and museums alike were angered by the insistence of Conoco that the iconic signs be destroyed. Letters, pleas and petitions ensued.

But this story ends happily. While the plan to remove the orbs will go through, some of them will be donated for preservation to museums (including The Smithsonian and the Peterson Automotive Museum). And in another turn of events, the marketing team heard all those complaints and has decided to return the glowing 76 ball to as many as 100 gas stations in western states.

[Sources: The Wall Street Journal via The Car Connection and Save the 76 Ball]

Mimicking a similar project in the UK, a US-based organization has launched FuelCard.org to help drivers save some cash on gas. The idea is seemingly simple: get a bunch of people together and give them a gas discount card, promise a popular, nationwide gas station chain that the group of people will only buy their gas, and the card holders in question get 10-20 cents off per gallon of gas. The site evidently started up last week, so we're not sure who the gas retailer will be, but if this program flies, it could be a great thing for many of us looking at $50+ a tank.

Thanks to Bob for the tip.

[Source: FuelCard.org]

General Motors promised that it would develop some innovative sales promotions this summer, and we have to say that it delivers with a newly-announced offer for Florida and California residents who buy selected SUVs and midsize sedans.

Buyers will be issued a pre-paid credit card, which will be credited monthly with reimbursement for gasoline costs above and beyond $1.99/gallon until December of 2007. The credit will be based on the published AAA price for premium fuel and the actual mileage driven (tracked via OnStar, natch), and so those who rack up the miles could end up with a substantial chunk of change back in their pockets - especially if gas prices continue towards pessimists' projections of $4/gallon (or worse).

The gas credit applies to the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, Monte Carlo, and Impala; the GMC Yukon, Hummer's H2 and H3, the Cadillac SRX, Pontiac's Grand Prix, and Buick's new Lucerne. GM claims that the vehicles were selected for their "outstanding fuel economy and great consumer appeal".

Check out the full press release from the General after the jump...

[Source: GM]

Filling stations in the heart of the oil industry were out of gasoline Friday after logistical problems delayed distribution of ethanol to fuel terminals.

The problem surfaced as oil companies switch from MTBE to ethanol as an anti-smog additive. Similar problems caused supply problems on the U.S. East Coast last week.

Because ethanol-based reformulated gasoline is easily contaminated by water, the gasoline and ethanol must be sent separately to distribution terminals (like the facility shown at right) and mixed  at the terminal before being trucked to gas stations. MTBE-based gasoline was sent to the terminal via pipeline, ready for distribution. Getting the ethanol to the terminals has proven to be more of a challenge than expected.

[Source: CNN/Money]