(The Center Square) – Transportation energy costs for the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians are rising as much as 10 cents in the past month with Thanksgiving travel about to begin.
Nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and Dec. 1, the time defined by the American Automobile Association as the holiday period.
“Thanksgiving travel numbers are always impressive because this holiday has become synonymous with heading out of town to spend time with loved ones,” said Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel. “People are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories, whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends.”
Thursday’s average from AAA for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from Murphy to Manteo is $2.86. A month ago, it was $2.75.
The national average for unleaded is $3.10.
The North Carolina average for unleaded is 2 cents better than a year ago. Diesel is 9 cents higher than a month earlier and 11 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. 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 34.7 cents per kilowatt-hour. The national average is 38 cents per kWh. 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.
Seventeen states have lower average prices for a gallon of unleaded; 10 are lower for diesel; and 11 are lower in electric.
Among the 14 major metro areas, the least expensive average for unleaded gas is in Goldsboro at $2.76. The most expensive area is the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area at $2.92.
Diesel is the most consumer-friendly ($3.47) 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.
