Gas prices and how long we can make gasoline last are becoming more prominent than ever right now. Many of us are feeling the pinch at the pump, and quite a few of us seem to be getting through a gas tank faster than we’d normally expect. But one man on TikTok thinks he has the answer to this.
The clip came from automotive content creator PokeChop (@poke_chop_), who said they know what has happened with a change in gas requirements since the start of the war in Iran. He put much of the blame on the current ethanol fuel blends that aren’t suited to some cars.
With how expensive gasoline has become recently, a lot of us are probably trying to get it to stretch out as much as possible. If you use your car regularly but can get it to last more than a week, then you have done a very good job and saved some money in the process.
The clip by the content creator has had over nine million views at the time of writing, and he warned those who are driving older cars. “If you happen to drive what society would label a beater … your car is going to start to fall apart very quickly,” he said.
What the Content Creator Said About Gasoline and How Long It Lasts
@poke_chop_ Stay safe, all love. #pokechop #fyp ♬ original sound – PokeChop
The explanation that PokeChop gave viewers as to why their fuel is disappearing so quickly sounded ominous. According to him, Congress quietly approved year-round E15 gasoline across America. This passed in March 2026 and was reported by various news outlets, such as Reuters, with little fanfare. But it seems to have played a part in this quick draining of fuel tanks.
PokeChop also stated that companies have been increasing ethanol levels in gasoline for months now, and that much of what has been going on recently, such as rough idle problems, is down to this change in ethanol levels. Ethanol-blended fuel could also explain why your fuel gauges seem to drop faster than you might have expected.
The content creator also said that drivers are effectively being ‘gaslighted’ into ignoring some of the current problems. These include the obvious decline in fuel economy and more frequent trips to the gas station. “The last three, four months we’ve been getting gaslighted into believing that that is not what was happening,” he said.
Viewers Suddenly Wanted To Find Ethanol-Free Gasoline
With the video posted, the comments section almost turned into a free-for-all as viewers tried to find gas stations that sold ethanol-free fuel. Website Pure-Gas.org was touted as a great place to look for stations that still sell this fuel, with the comments section almost becoming a community forum as drivers tried to help each other out.
Some of those viewers bemoaned the fact that getting gasoline without ethanol wouldn’t be easy, as many gas stations were located too far away. While it might have an impact, it is important to note that the truth isn’t quite as dramatic as those on the social media platform have made out. In fact, E15 fuel is approved for a wide variety of cars built from 2001 onwards.
E15 Gasoline Isn’t as Bad as You Might Think
Ethanol does have less energy per gallon than pure gasoline. This means fuel blends with a higher level of ethanol content can reduce fuel economy slightly over regular gasoline. But the Environmental Protection Agency does state it is approved in most vehicles from 2001 onwards. Older vehicles may not be so receptive to it, but for the vast majority, it would be fine.
However, it is easy to understand why people are so frustrated at the moment. The crisis in Iran has seen prices rise at the pump, not just in America but around the world as well. So if anything can ease that pain slightly, people are going to latch onto it. But taking a step back, we can’t just blame E15 fuel for all our problems.