(The Center Square) – Transportation energy costs for the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians remain near the lowest average in 15 years.
Monday’s average from the American Automobile Association for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from Murphy to Manteo is $2.74. In 2010 some 188 months ago, the cost dipped to $2.72 on average in March.
Diesel per gallon is $3.46 across the state. In November 2022, the price dipped as low as $3.36 on average.
The national average for unleaded is $3.03.
The North Carolina average for unleaded is 2 cents better than a week earlier, 9 cents better than a month ago, and 16 cents less expensive than a year ago. Diesel is 2 cents better than a week earlier and 2 cents higher than a year ago.
Per Environmental Protection Agency rules in place from June 1 to Sept. 15, the time for less volatile summer blend fuel to be sold has ended. Some of the recent drop is explained because of that law. In general, summer fuel is considered 10 cents to 15 cents higher per gallon.
Combustion engine consumers make up more than 8 million vehicle registrations in the nation’s ninth-largest state.
North Carolina’s electric vehicle charging rate average, according to AAA, is 34.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, up 1.8 cents in two weeks. The national average is 37.8 cents per kWh, up 1.1 cents in two weeks. More than 100,000 zero-emission vehicles are registered in the state. At the start of the calendar year, the state norm was 33.5 cents per kWh and the national was 34.7 cents per kWh.
Twelve states have lower average prices for a gallon of unleaded; 14 are lower for diesel; and 12 are lower in electric.
Among the 14 major metro areas, the least expensive average for unleaded gas is in Rocky Mount at $2.66. The most expensive area is the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area at $2.85.
Diesel is the most consumer-friendly ($3.33) in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton market.
North Carolina’s 40.3 cents per gallon tax rate for 2025 is topped by California (59.6), Pennsylvania (57.6), Washington (49.4), Illinois (47), Maryland (46.1), and New Jersey (44.9).
Motor fuel taxes in the state fund the Department of Transportation’s highway and multi-modal projects, accounting for more than half of the state transportation resources. The revenues go into the Highway Fund and the Highway Trust Fund.
