The owner refills his car every week at the same station, but one day he realizes that consumption between one tank and another has increased, despite the fact that the vehicle is in order and the daily routine has been maintained.

Adulteration? Not always. The problem may be in the specifications of the fuel, often imported, purchased by the dealer. Without standardization, differences arise that affect the consumption and energy efficiency of the engines. That is why the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) promotes changes in legislation.

As of August, the common gasoline that will be supplied to service stations in Brazil should comply with new standards. Its density, or density, will have a minimum standard and should yield more. However, the price tends to be higher.

Rogério Gonçalves, director of fuels for the AEA (Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering), says that the evolution of engines --- based on environmental rules --- needs to be accompanied by improved gasoline. Without this, it is not possible to reduce pollutant emissions.

In addition to pollution, low-quality gasoline increases the risk of defects. According to Gonçalves, some automakers had problems with detonation: the explosion of the air-fuel mixture occurred in a disordered way, and there were cases of serious and expensive breaks.

During tests, the AEA found that low density was one of the causes of the malfunction, hence the need to create a standard. According to the new rule, the specific mass should be at least 715 kg / m³. And the octane measurement will also change.

The number of octane determines how much fuel is resistant to detonation, and a value below what is necessary also leads to malfunctions and breaks. Brazil now adopts the RON classification (acronym in English for number of octane per research method), the same standard used in most parts of the world.

The minimum allowable octane rating for regular gasoline will be 92 RON. From January 2022, the base value will be increased to 93 RON.

Gonçalves says that, based on complaints about high consumption, a study was done with gasoline. The result showed that the increase in spending could be related to gasoline imported from different countries. As there were no RON and mass specifications, a low density fuel was able to meet current standards and be sold normally.

Until the end of the year, all gas stations in the country should have the new gasoline for sale --- there will be a period of 90 days to zero stocks, and inspection will be intensified.

The new fuel will also be the basis for the additive options sold at stations with different brands.

Each brand defines its own package of detergents and friction reducers. The content of anhydrous ethanol in the composition will not change, remaining at 27% in ordinary gasoline and 25% in premium options.

The new standards should facilitate the identification of adulterated fuel and, perhaps, inhibit fraud such as the addition of solvents.