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A GAS station in the desert is going viral for prices nearing $9 a gallon – all while the national average finally drops below $4 a gallon.
With the extreme changes, EV drivers relish in price stability while charging.
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Najah’s Desert Oasis, a general store in Fenner, California off the historic Route 66, runs a Chevron just off the freeway.
It’s in a remote part of the Mojave desert between Barstow and Needles, leaving travelers to choose between paying a premium at the pumps or being stranded.
The station recently went viral after Matt Bateman posted a series of photos on his X account (@mbateman).
The photos showed the jaw-dropping gas prices with a note from management explaining the prices, and telling them not to complain.
Read More about Gas Prices
Regular was $8.55, midgrade was $8.65 while premium was priced at $8.75.
“Our overhead is extremely high. Delivery cost is double with this location,” the note read.
“There is a vast of almost 100 miles of desert, with no cell service. Please do not complain about the prices. You have a choice to be a customer or not. We are here for your convenience.
“Thank you for supporting a family-owned business.”
Many drivers seemed to understand the reasoning for the prices, while others accused the managers of price gauging.
The photos went viral, with millions of views, nearly 400 replies, and thousands of reposts, as the national average of regular dropped to $3.37 per gallon.
In contrast, the cheapest station is the Circle K on Cedar Lake Road in Biloxi, Mississippi at $2.49 per gallon for regular according to WLOX.
Mississippi has the lowest average cost per gallon at $2.93 for regular, with Oklahoma close behind at $2.98.
California’s average cost is $4.59, nearly half the cost of the Fenner Chevron.
While drivers of gas-powered cars face fluctuating costs at the pump, EV drivers have been taking solace in their steady and cheap charging costs.
The AAA reported that the national average for Level 2 charging has remained steady since July.
Drivers in Kansas have the best luck, with the average cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) being just $0.21.
Missouri, Delaware, Texas, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin are just under $0.30, while Michigan, Vermont, and North Dakota stay at $0.30 per kWh.
EV owners in Hawaii pay the highest average of $0.56 per kWh.
Gas prices, according to Matt Smith, an oil analyst with Kpler, said the drop in gas prices in the nation is due to the price of oil per gallon dropping.
The cheapest and most expensive states for gas
National and state averages are dropping, but some stations are notable for their prices being well above or below the averages.
The most expensive states for gas:
- Hawaii has the highest national average at $4.66 for regular.
- California has the second-highest average at $4.59 but is home to the nation’s most expensive gas station – a Chevron in Fenner is charging $8.55 for regular.
- Washington: $4.19
- Nevada: $3.95
- Oregon: $3.83
- Alaska: $3.75
- Illinois: $3.73
- Washington, D.C.: $3.64
- Idaho: $3.58
- Utah: $3.57
The cheapest states to fill up in:
- Mississippi: $2.93. It also has the cheapest gas station in the nation, with a Circle K in Biloxi charging just $2.49 for regular.
- Oklahoma: $2.98
- Tennessee: $2.99
- Texas: $3.00
- Louisiana: $3.03
- South Carolina: $3.03
- Alabama: $3.04
- Arkansas: $3.07
- Kansas: $3.10
- Missouri: $3.11
Source: AAA
“As we’ve seen oil prices drop in the last month or so, you’re seeing prices at the pump play catch-up with that,” he told USA Today.
AAA Spokesperson Andrew Gross said the prices drop daily – for now.
“They’ve been falling almost a penny a day now,” he said.
However, for remote locations like Fenner, those principles may not apply.
Yelp! reviewers posted photos of the prices as recently as June, saying the management was “price gauging” or preying on travelers, knowing they have little choice but to pay the elevated costs.
Many used the page to warn drivers to fill up in Barstow or Needles before traveling through that section of the desert to avoid paying almost $9 per gallon.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Najah’s Desert Oasis for comment.
