California’s gas is $1.58 higher per gallon than every other state
s of 2025, California’s total gas taxes and fees amount to approximately $1.15 per gallon, which includes state excise taxes, local sales taxes, and various fees. The state excise tax alone is currently around 59.6 cents per gallon, with additional costs from environmental programs and other fees contributing to the total.
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AAA has today’s national average gas price at $3.05 per gallon. California’s is $1.58 higher per gallon at $4.62 per gallon on average for mid-grade gas. If you use premium gas or diesel that will cost you $5.04 and $5.12 per gallon, respectively.
And this is why: California’s total gas taxes and fees amount to approximately $1.15 per gallon on top of the gas price per gallon… so says the California Energy Commission.
California wants you to believe that the total gas taxes and fees amount to approximately $1.15 per gallon – here is the official breakdown:
The California Energy Commission estimated that environmental compliance costs added as much as $0.54/gal as of March 2025, because of the state’s Cap-and-Trade Program and Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
However, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports:
“Most of the gasoline consumed in California is refined within the state due to lack of petroleum infrastructure connections. California is geographically isolated from other U.S. refining centers because no pipelines supply California from across the Rocky Mountains and only a limited number of pipelines deliver to the West Coast from the Gulf Coast. Of the refineries outside of California with physical access to the state’s gasoline markets, only a few can meet California’s stringent fuel blending requirements.”
“California also imports gasoline from other countries, such as India and South Korea, to meet its fuel supply needs. Other countries produce California-specification gasoline, but high shipping costs usually limit imports to periods of refinery outages or the summer driving season.”
This is an intentional action by the majority party in Sacramento.
Because of the 40 year grip on the State with amounts to a one party State there has been no attempt to use latest technology. In fact most of the anti science attitude has increased the auto mph to force the consumption of more gasoline that then feeds the taxes. It was determined when gas was about $2.00 / gallon that ever $.50 cent increase in the cost of fuel cost the workers ~$100 more per month.
Sacramento and Newsom have never addressed this. So what has he proposed going from 10% ethanol to 15% that will lower the efficiency of gas forcing drivers to buy more. He can then talk about the issues of more carbon in the air.
What about the E-V vehicles?
Are they paying their fair share? Of course not. Calif. has intentionally put on the backs of the average driver the costs of road building, maintenance, “low?” cost alternative electricity. That means the middle class and working poor are being badly abused by a failed 20 year policy.
Most E-V’s exact a significant wear and tear on the road infrastructure. There is an increasing ownership of E-V’is with more out of state E-V’s. It is clear these growing owners and “outsiders” should be paying their fair share of the costs of streets and fueling operations. The rate should be equivalent of what is per gallon paid by the majority of auto users. As of today it is approximately $4.40 per gallon.
This is an equitable way to recoup the maintenance for wear and tear these E-V operators have on the roads. It also eliminates the issue of “State Tracking of Individuals” that is a personal right to privacy.
Interested in more about this and open streets for the Working Class, contact Cars Are Basic.org
cab@CarsAreBasic.org
I thought that there was all this doom and gloom about gas prices in CA to be 6-8 dollars a gallon. What happened? I will tell you what happened, the repubs started this campaign that was supposed to scare everybody into thinking that Newsom was up to no good but what now? Where is the $6 gal gas? They lied to you. Newsom has been working to keep gas prices in check with the refinery shutdowns and all and you fools fell for the repub bullshit. Keep believing in the repubs and see there true colors. Why are you still voting R?