Aussie government considers phasing out "regular unleaded" 91RON gasoline

Australia's most popular gasoline, regular unleaded 91RON (Research Octane Number), could be completely phased out under a radical plan by the federal government to reduce the environmental impact of "dirty" fuels.

Australia has the lowest petrol quality of all 35 OECD nations, and according to a discussion paper secretly released on Tuesday, the government was considering a number of options to improve the overall quality of Australian fuel and, therefore, air.

On Thursday, local media reported that around 80 percent of Australia motorists currently use the 91RON fuel, which is significantly cheaper than "premium" 95RON and 98RON fuels. The government reportedly wants to phase out the fuel over the next two-to-five years.

However, motorist groups opposed the solution. National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) spokesman Peter Khoury said phasing out regular unleaded would hurt motorists' hip pockets for little environmental gain.

"If you go down the path of phasing out regular unleaded you would be exposing motorists to even more rorts than we are now," Khoury told Fairfax Media.

"Premium unleaded already costs 21 cents (15.2 U.S cents) more than ethanol - imagine what could happen if we adopt European standards."

The Australian Automobile Association agreed, saying that phasing out regular unleaded petrol would have "significant cost implications for the vast majority of motorists".

"This would be particularly bad for those that drive older vehicles, who would be forced to pay a higher price for fuel, without any emissions benefits being realized," a spokesperson said.

But the government has said the discussion paper was "designed to keep Australia in line with international vehicle markets".

The discussion paper's proposals are open for consultation until March 2017. Endit