AAA recorded regular gasoline at $3.9788 per gallon Tuesday, its first reading below $4 since July and a roughly 17-cent weekly decline in the U.S. benchmark for motorists.
The latest figure was $0.1705 below AAA's $4.1493 average on Nov. 3. EconoTimes previously rounded that Election Day reading to $4.15 in an earlier report.
GasBuddy's blog showed its separate national average at $3.96 on Nov. 9, the company's first below-$4 reading since August. The July milestone therefore refers to AAA's series; GasBuddy's measure had crossed the threshold a day earlier.
CBS News attributed lower pump prices in part to stations shifting from summer to less costly winter blends and reduced road travel during colder months. It reported that federal rules require summer formulations from June 1 through Sept. 15; outside that period, stations can use winter blends.
CBS News also linked lower global oil costs to election-related expectations for renewed movement toward an agreement ending the U.S.-Iran war. The outlet reported that GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan expected fuel prices to keep declining into Thanksgiving.
