Oil prices about to adjust! Many Fuzhou car owners rushing to fill up their tanks in advance...

N Haidu All-Media Reporter Chen Wenhua

Attention, Fuzhou car owners!

Next week

Gas prices may return to the “9 Yuan Era”!

Refilling a tank could cost an extra 100 yuan

At 24:00 on March 23, the sixth round of domestic refined oil price adjustments will take place. This will be the fifth consecutive increase since January 20 of this year, and the expected increase is significant. According to predictions by relevant agencies on the 21st, 92-octane gasoline may rise by 1.73 yuan per liter. In other words, this five-round increase will total 2.59 yuan per liter, pushing 92-octane fuel directly from the “6 Yuan Era” to the “9 Yuan Era.”

In the past two days, reporters visited some gas stations and car dealerships in Fuzhou and found that the sharp rise in fuel prices has had a considerable impact on drivers’ travel plans and consumers’ car purchasing choices.

Many car owners are filling up early

And even considering switching to the subway

“Many car owners used to fill up with a fixed amount, like 200 or 150 yuan. Today, almost everyone who comes to fill up wants to fill the tank completely,” said a staff member at China National Offshore Oil’s Ruxu gas station on the afternoon of March 21. “And the number of customers coming to fill up has increased significantly in the past two days—more than 20% compared to yesterday.”

Mr. Long, a driver who came to fill up, said, “I heard fuel prices are going to rise sharply, so I hurried to fill my tank.”

Some other car owners also said that due to the continuous surge in fuel prices recently, they are considering using public transportation like the subway and buses for commuting.

Staff at the gas station estimate that the number of cars coming to fill up will double in the next couple of days, and there may be long lines at the pumps on the night of the 23rd.

Some consumers are changing their car purchase plans

Switching from oil to electric or delaying purchases

“I was planning to buy a gasoline car recently, but with the recent sharp rise in fuel prices, I’ve started considering electric cars,” said citizen Mr. Xu.

Many consumers share similar thoughts. On the afternoon of March 20, reporters visited the Lynk & Co dealership at No. 20 Jinzou North Road, Cangshan District, Fuzhou, and found that all the displayed cars inside were new energy vehicles, while traditional fuel cars were “left out” outside the showroom.

Sales consultant Mr. Shao said that currently, more than 90% of the sales at this dealership are new energy vehicles, and many consumers are switching from fuel cars to new energy cars. “This trend has become more obvious in the past two days, with a noticeable increase in customer flow.”

Mr. Lu from Chida Wuling Cangshan dealership also said that since March, the number of leads has increased by over 30% year-on-year, mostly inquiries about new energy vehicles, “because of the high fuel prices, more people are turning to electric cars.”

Even at GAC Toyota, which mainly sells fuel vehicles, about 70-80% of customers are choosing more fuel-efficient hybrid models.

However, the reporter also found that many consumers are postponing their car purchases. “I plan to wait and see; I hope this fuel price surge is temporary, and I can continue using my current car,” said Mr. Huang, who was preparing to buy a joint-venture gasoline car, looking somewhat helpless.

In response, experts from the Fujian Automotive Circulation Industry Association pointed out that the recent sharp rise in fuel prices may, on one hand, further increase the penetration of new energy vehicles driven by high fuel costs, but on the other hand, it could also suppress demand for traditional fuel cars, leading to a brief period of market hesitation.

Editor: Pan Zeyan

Review: Lin Zulong