Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Thursday urged people to avoid using Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) gas stations, saying that name-brand gas could lead drivers to overpay at the pump amid surging fuel costs and the war in Iran.
Avoid Chevron
In a post on X, Newsom’s official Press Office handle urged California residents to “avoid Chevron” if they planned on driving “this holiday weekend.”
The post then shared a “pro tip” about gasoline in the U.S. “Unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines,” the post said.
The Press Office also assured that non-brand gasoline also met state standards that keep the “engine running clean, even if it doesn't have a fancy name like ‘Techron'.” Techron is Chevron’s fuel additive that prevents carbon buildup in the engine.
“Big Oil is already making billions off Trump's Iran War,” the post said, adding that customers shouldn’t let oil companies “rip you off” even more by “overpaying for the brand name.”
Chevron Vs Gavin Newsom
Newsom has faced off against the oil producer in the past, with the California Governor’s Press Office criticizing the President Donald Trump administration’s decision to reopen the Sable Offshore Corp (NYSE:SOC) pipeline, which, according to Newsom, puts communities as well as California's $51 Billion coastal economy at risk.
The pipeline would supply oil to Chevron. Notably, it was shut down after a 2015 oil spill from the pipeline caused significant damage.
Meanwhile, Chevron reportedly donated $500,000 to Political Action Committees (PACs) working with former President Joe Biden-era Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, who is contesting in the California Democratic Governor’s Primaries this year, according to filings showcased on the CAL-Access platform.
Gas Prices
According to data collected by the American Automobile Association (AAA), gas prices in California continued to remain the highest in the country, with the state’s average price for gas hitting the $6.143/gallon mark on Thursday, which illustrated a slight decline.
Diesel reached $7.147/gallon in the state, while Mono County residents in California paid the highest average price for gas at $7.041/gallon.
The same data showed that the average national price for gas on Thursday hovered around the $4.564/gallon mark, surging above Wednesday’s average of $4.555/gallon.
Iran War
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameini reportedly pushed back against one of the Trump administration’s key nuclear demands amid peace negotiations, saying that Iran’s enriched Uranium stockpile should not be sent overseas.
Trump, reacting to the reports, said that the U.S. did not “want” the Uranium and that the administration would “probably destroy it” after acquiring it. “We're not going to let them have it,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
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Photo courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com
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