PumpTalk - Petro-Canada

Dispelling the myth about long weekend gas price hikes

One of the most common questions we still get as spokespeople at Suncor is: 

“Why does the cost of fuel go up right before every long weekend?”

For years, we have been telling our readers that it is simply a myth.  Now, thanks to a piece of research released this week by M.J. Ervin & Associates (a division of the Kent Group), a review of the pricing data around long weekends across Canada since 2006 has been completed.  (DISCLOSURE:  This work was done by M.J. Ervin & Associates on behalf of the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI), to provide independent third party research. Suncor Energy is a member company of CPPI).

The importance of lane etiquette, not just for bowling alleys

Everyday I get on the highway to drive to work and notice bad habits all around me. The recent one that stunned me was a driver who popped from the rightmost lane to the merge/acceleration lane in order to pass some of us. Clearly not what the lane was intended for and quite dangerous. Really terrifying stuff!

Photo: iStockphoto

Safer Driving through Performance Thinking

I like hearing from the experts - whether it's about gardening, home repair or driving. Our Ultra 94 team (Ultra 94 is our premium gasoline brand) recently spent some time with Brett Goodman, the owner and race director of Bridgestone Racing Academy.

Brett is definitely a driving expert. In fact, he and Bridgestone Racing Academy recently celebrated 26 years injury-free with modern Van Diemen race cars on an in-house designed track. Pretty amazing! He and the Ultra 94 team created a series of videos about performance driving that I thought some of our PumpTalk readers might be interested in. Check out the first four videos:  

- Episode 1: How to Set Your Following Distance
- Episode 2: Anticipating Your Next Move, Gretzy-style
- Episode 3: Being the Traction Manager for Your Family
- Episode 4: How to Avoid Skids

We've also embedded the videos below:

   

You can also visit our Ultra 94 Facebook Fan Page

Look for Episodes 5-8 coming soon!

- Erin F.

Looking to get a more fuel efficient vehicle? Here are just a few options.

My best friend is considering getting a new car, and she asked me if I knew anything about fuel efficient vehicles because I work in the gas industry. Since she hasn't narrowed it down at all as yet, I decided to cast a wide net to see what I could find out.

  Photo: iStockphoto

The Heat is On. How to Prep Your Car for Summer

At this point in the year, most people will have dutifully removed their winter tires and put on summer tires, all season tires or performance tires. But, do you know why this is advisable?

Photo: iStockphoto