Driver guides
Driver guides for fuel, charging and the road
57 practical guides on finding fuel and charging, EV connectors, what prices are doing, long drives and forecourt safety. Each one is a single page, written for someone about to drive.
New driver?
Four guides, in the order the stop happens.
- Your first fuel stop: a calm walkthroughWhich side is the filler on, which nozzle to take, how payment works, and the small habits that stop a first fuel stop going wrong.4 min read
- Fuel station safety: the basics worth knowingWhat actually causes forecourt fires, why static is the real risk, why you should stop at the click, and how to carry fuel safely.4 min read
- Paying at the pump: cards, cash, apps and contactlessA guide to fuel payment methods: pay-at-pump vs kiosk, cards, cash, mobile apps, pre-authorisation holds, and how to avoid surprises.5 min read
- Wrong fuel in your car? Do not start the enginePetrol in a diesel or diesel in a petrol car: what actually happens, why starting the engine is the costly mistake, and the right order of steps.5 min read
Read these first.
Why fuel apps send you to dead stationsHow mapping data, charging network backends and national price feeds produce confident wrong answers, and what a fuel and EV map can honestly do about it.
EV connectors: CCS, CHAdeMO, Type 2 and NACSA clear guide to EV charging connectors: CCS, CHAdeMO, Type 2, NACS/Tesla and GB/T, so you know which your car uses and which chargers to look for.Practical ways to save money on fuelConcrete, no-nonsense ways to cut your fuel bill, where you buy, how you drive, and how you plan, without gimmicks.
Latest
New on Refuelia.
The newest guides, dated the day they went up. Newest at the top.
All 57 guides, by topicCheapest petrol and diesel in the EU, rankedPetrol and diesel prices in all 27 EU countries, cheapest first, from the European Commission for the week of 21 September 2026, with the six-month average.E10 petrol in Europe, country by countryWhen each European country made E10 its standard petrol, what the E5 alternative is called there, and how to check your car before you fill up abroad.Fuel price caps and tax cuts in Europe in 2026What EU governments did about pump prices in 2026: tax cuts in Poland and Ireland, price caps in Czechia, margin caps in Greece, the noon rule in Germany.Where to fill up before a border in EuropeThe petrol and diesel price gaps across 35 EU borders in September 2026, from the European Commission’s weekly data, and when a detour to fill up pays.Diesel crack tops $100: what it means at the pumpUS diesel refining margins hit a record $102 a barrel on 17 August 2026. What caused it, what it does to pump prices, and what a driver can do.How we calculate confidenceRefuelia puts a confidence percentage next to fuel data. Here is the exact arithmetic behind it: the thresholds, the weights, and what it cannot tell you.
57 guides, 7 topics.
Every guide, by topic. The search box and the topics at the top of the page filter this list.
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Find fuel
10 guidesHow we calculate confidenceRefuelia puts a confidence percentage next to fuel data. Here is the exact arithmetic behind it: the thresholds, the weights, and what it cannot tell you.Refuelia vs Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps for fuelWhere each app gets its fuel prices, what it will and will not tell you, and which one to open. Sources named, gaps stated.Why fuel apps send you to dead stationsHow mapping data, charging network backends and national price feeds produce confident wrong answers, and what a fuel and EV map can honestly do about it.Why closed petrol stations stay on maps for yearsMap data records what exists, not what is open today, and has no field for price or stock. How OpenStreetMap tags a station and what check_date means.How driver reports keep station data accurateHow timestamped driver reports keep fuel and charging data honest, why every status shows its age, and what happens when nobody has checked recently.How to check if a petrol station is open right nowHow to tell whether a station is open right now, why posted hours are the least reliable field on a map, and what a recent driver report adds.How to find fuel availability near you in real timeA practical guide to finding a fuel station that actually has fuel right now, using your location, filters, driver reports and freshness timestamps.How to report a station's status in ten secondsA quick guide to reporting fuel availability, queues, prices and charger status on Refuelia: what to report, how it's used, and why it matters.Paying at the pump: cards, cash, apps and contactlessA guide to fuel payment methods: pay-at-pump vs kiosk, cards, cash, mobile apps, pre-authorisation holds, and how to avoid surprises.How to read station opening hoursOpening hours look simple but hide traps: overnight pay-at-pump, breaks, holidays. How to read the OpenStreetMap format and confirm a station is open.
EV charging
8 guidesEV charging roaming: why your card is refusedYour card works on one network and is refused on the next because roaming is a contract, not a cable standard. How CPOs, eMSPs and OCPI fit together.Megawatt Charging System (MCS) explained for trucksThe Megawatt Charging System runs at 1,250 volts and 3,000 amps, about ten times a fast car charger. IEC 63379 was published in February 2026.Why EV charging attempts fail: the real numbersOne study says one in seven charging attempts fails; another says one in three. Why the two disagree, and what uptime hides from you.AC vs DC charging: speed, cost and when each winsThe difference between AC and DC EV charging, how each affects charging time and cost, and how to choose the right one for the moment.EV connectors: CCS, CHAdeMO, Type 2 and NACSA clear guide to EV charging connectors: CCS, CHAdeMO, Type 2, NACS/Tesla and GB/T, so you know which your car uses and which chargers to look for.How EV drivers can avoid broken chargersHow to check a charger actually works before you drive to it: connector, power in kW, recent driver confirmations and what an app cannot tell you.EV charging speeds in kW: what they mean for wait timeWhat the kW number on an EV charger really tells you, why your car might charge slower than the rating, and how to estimate your wait.Why your EV charges slower in the coldCold batteries accept charge slowly for a physical reason. Here is what is happening inside the pack, and why preconditioning changes the outcome.
Save money
5 guidesEU tyre label explained: fuel efficiency and wet gripTyres cost about 1.16 litres per 100 km in rolling losses. The EU label grades that A to E next to wet grip, where a class is 3-6 metres of braking.Real fuel consumption vs WLTP: the 24% gapSince 2021 every new car records what it burns. The Commission collected 617,194: petrol cars used 23.7% more than the official figure.How fuel prices are set, and why they varyWhat actually drives the price at the pump: crude oil, taxes, distribution, local competition, and why two nearby stations can differ so much.How to compare fuel prices before a tripHow to compare fuel prices before you set off: which sources are official, how old each number is, and when a detour stops being worth it.Practical ways to save money on fuelConcrete, no-nonsense ways to cut your fuel bill, where you buy, how you drive, and how you plan, without gimmicks.
Fuel basics
12 guidesE10 petrol in Europe, country by countryWhen each European country made E10 its standard petrol, what the E5 alternative is called there, and how to check your car before you fill up abroad.CNG vs LPG: what actually differsLPG is propane and butane under mild pressure. CNG is methane at 200 bar. Different tanks, nozzles, range and conversion cost, sourced and compared.Fuel pump labels explained: E5, E10, B7 and XTLA circle, a square, a diamond: what EN 16942 fuel labels mean, the difference between E5, E10, E85, B7, B10 and XTL, and whether your car can use E10 petrol.AdBlue explained: ISO 22241, freezing and shelf lifeAdBlue is 32.5% urea in deionised water, with insolubles capped at 20 mg/kg. Freezing at -11 C is designed for. Heat is what actually ruins it.HVO100 explained: EN 15940 vs EN 590 dieselNeat HVO100 does not meet EN 590. It is certified under EN 15940 as paraffinic diesel, with higher cetane and lower density, and needs approval.Hydrogen refuelling explained: 700 bar and SAE J2601Hydrogen is chilled to -40 C before it reaches your car and the dispenser negotiates with the vehicle. EU law wants a station every 200 km by 2030.Water in diesel and the tank under the forecourtEN 590 allows 200 mg of water per kg of diesel. Then the fuel waits underground for weeks. Why station turnover matters more than the brand.European fuel labels explained: E5, E10, B7 and XTLE5, E10, B7, XTL and the H2 circle: what the symbols on European pumps mean, which apply to your car, and where the labels are legally required.Petrol vs diesel: what every driver should knowA plain-language comparison of petrol and diesel: how they differ, which suits which driving, and what to check before you fill up.What is CNG and is it right for your vehicleCompressed natural gas (CNG) is a cleaner-burning fuel used in adapted and purpose-built vehicles. How it compares with LPG, and where the filling stations are.What is LPG (autogas) and where to find itLPG or autogas is a lower-cost alternative fuel for adapted petrol cars. How it works, what the trade-offs are, and how to find the stations that sell it.Your first fuel stop: a calm walkthroughWhich side is the filler on, which nozzle to take, how payment works, and the small habits that stop a first fuel stop going wrong.
Prices & markets
10 guidesCheapest petrol and diesel in the EU, rankedPetrol and diesel prices in all 27 EU countries, cheapest first, from the European Commission for the week of 21 September 2026, with the six-month average.Fuel price caps and tax cuts in Europe in 2026What EU governments did about pump prices in 2026: tax cuts in Poland and Ireland, price caps in Czechia, margin caps in Greece, the noon rule in Germany.Diesel crack tops $100: what it means at the pumpUS diesel refining margins hit a record $102 a barrel on 17 August 2026. What caused it, what it does to pump prices, and what a driver can do.Why diesel costs more than petrolPump prices are mostly tax, not fuel. Why diesel beats petrol in some countries, loses in others, and why the gap between them keeps moving.UK Fuel Finder scheme: live fuel prices explainedSince February 2026 every UK forecourt must publish price changes within 30 minutes by law. What the scheme requires, and what happened at launch.Fuel shortages explained: why the pumps run drySupply disruptions, refinery outages, transport problems and demand surges can all leave a station without a fuel. How each one reaches the forecourt.Why fuel prices rise fast and fall slowlyKorean data: pumps pass on 58% of a cost rise in four weeks but only 38% of a fall. Germany has had mandatory price reporting since 2013 anyway.Motorway fuel prices: up to 26p a litre moreTwo months of mandatory UK price data: a motorway premium up to 26p a litre, and a 16p spread between stations only ten minutes apart.Why fuel prices differ across European bordersThe EU harmonised the structure of fuel taxes and only the minimum rates, not the rates themselves. Most of the gap across a border is fiscal.Where fuel prices come from: official European sourcesWhich fuel prices are official, which are estimated, and which are simply old. The European sources that publish real numbers, country by country.
Road trips
6 guidesWhere to fill up before a border in EuropeThe petrol and diesel price gaps across 35 EU borders in September 2026, from the European Commission’s weekly data, and when a detour to fill up pays.European tolls and vignettes: how the systems workA 2019 EU directive harmonised how tolls are collected across borders, not what countries charge. Why vignettes and distance tolls behave differently.Fuel in remote areas: why island prices are higherComparison assumes a choice. Witnesses put the Inverness-Uist fuel gap at 20p a litre against a duty relief of 5p, unchanged since 2015.Low emission zones in Europe: what drivers must checkThere is no European standard for low emission zones. What the Commission does and does not regulate, and the ten-minute check before you set off.How to plan fuel stops on a long road tripA step-by-step approach to planning fuel stops on a long drive: spacing, timing, price and having backups, so you never get caught short.How to plan an EV road trip without range anxietyPractical EV trip planning: spacing charges, using the 10–80% band, having backup chargers and reading live status, so long drives stay relaxed.
Safety & seasons
6 guidesFuel scams: free-petrol offers, fake apps and QR codesWhat the common fuel scams look like, the four things a real offer never asks for, and what to do if you have already paid.Winter diesel explained: CFPP grades and gellingEN 590 defines six temperate grades and five arctic classes, from +5 C down to -44 C. The pump tells you none of it, and fuel does not know it moved.Fuel station safety: the basics worth knowingWhat actually causes forecourt fires, why static is the real risk, why you should stop at the click, and how to carry fuel safely.Run out of fuel on the motorway? What to doRan out of fuel on a motorway or road? Reach the hard shoulder, get out away from traffic, wait behind the barrier and call for help. The steps, in order.Winter driving: fuel and EV charging tipsHow cold weather affects fuel, diesel and EV range, and the practical habits that keep winter journeys safe and stress-free.Wrong fuel in your car? Do not start the enginePetrol in a diesel or diesel in a petrol car: what actually happens, why starting the engine is the costly mistake, and the right order of steps.
Read the map the way the guides describe it
Every station on it carries its source and the age of its status.