Disappointing forecast: AI-92 gasoline will disappear in 2023

The battle for the environment is making the things around us more and more expensive. For example, electric cars, which Europe wants to switch to soon, cost about one and a half times as much as petrol and diesel cars (because of expensive batteries).

In the meantime, every effort is being made to make the exhaust gases of combustion engines cleaner. Expert from Za Rulem, the oldest and most authoritative automotive publication in Russia, Sergey Zinoviev warns that this will lead to the disappearance of AI-92 gasoline as early as 2023.

The reason for this is one of the two packages of amendments to the Technical Regulation on the safety of wheeled vehicles. This is the basic regulatory document for all cars produced and imported in Russia.

That is, in Russia, the transition to environmental class 6 begins (it corresponds to the European Euro-6). The monitoring of CO emissions will start₂and the results are entered into the PTS.

Exhaust cleaning is not possible without new and stricter fuel requirements. It should be cleaner and more energy efficient, and AI-92 gasoline does not meet these parameters.

It is not known when the new requirements will be introduced. The process of agreeing amendments to the technical regulations is being carried out by five member countries of the EAEU, and it cannot be done quickly. But chances are the changes will work in 2023.

A bonus is the planned increase in excise duties on cars and fuel. According to the tax law of the Russian Federation, they have increased by 4% since January 1, 2023.

Read about other bad surprises for drivers in 2023 in the January issue of Za Rulem magazine – already on sale. The magazine is also for sale on marketplaces:

The material was prepared on the basis of Sergei Zinoviev’s article “2023: no concessions”, published in the magazine “Za Rulem” No. 1/2023.