Oasis Services, the first Jet dealer to sell the fuel supplier’s Ultra 99 high octane petrol, has been surprised by the breadth of customer purchasing the premium fuel, which has reached a daily volume of 1,000 litres ahead of a predicted summer surge.
Oliver Blake, operations director of the family-owned forecourt in Long Riston, Hull, says that as well as the expected classic car enthusiasts, motorbikers and prestige car owners, drivers of newer run around cars are among the 50 or so daily customers buying the E5 super unleaded in a bid to look after their vehicle.
Blake says that its sales volume has exceeded his expectations, and that is before the site has hit its busy summer period. “When the sun is out, we have lots of coastal tourist traffic passing us, and it’s a time that motorbikers and classic car drivers are out in force and will purchase that fuel,” he adds.
Owners of classic and older cars are advised to use E5 super grade fuel, with an octane rating of 97 or 99. But apart from these vehicles and high performance engine cars, the benefits of this more expensive fuel over standard 95 octane E10, arguably becomes less noticeable with newer everyday vehicles.
However, Blake is finding that motorists often like to think that they are putting the best fuel into their car, hoping for greater efficiency and a longer engine life.
Before stocking Ultra 99, the business was only selling 200 litres a day of super unleaded. Customers had become accustomed to purchasing a 99 high octane fuel from a Tesco five miles away which stocked the Momentum 99 brand.
“I wanted to try a 99 octane unleaded, at a time when I was considering switching the super unleaded pump to standard grade, but didn’t want to give up on the sales we had,” says Blake.
And being able to offer an equivalent product to his competitor – he has Ultra 99 on a two nozzle pump – was a big consideration when the business decided to switch from Gulf to Jet this year. “We had people asking us when we would be able to offer a 99 octane fuel,” says Blake.
“Five months in I’ve been surprised by how many different types of motorists have been buying Ultra 99,” he adds. “Last Friday we hit 1,500 litres, and on Saturday 1,250 litres, and I expect this to keep increasing as we get into summer.
“With drivers of newer cars that are not particularly expensive buying it, it has been a bit of an eye opener, and makes me more inclined to use it competitively and price at the bottom of the market.”
Oasis Services, a 10mlpa site, is known in the area for being competitive on fuel and Blake is retailing Ultra 99 at 139.9p per litre, compared with 129.9 for standard unleaded.
He has also been courting interest in the product with social media posts highlighting the advantages of using the fuel, which is marketed as having anti-corrosion additives, and cleaning detergents to tackle dirt, which could lead to longer engine life.
