A while back we mentioned MSN's gas widget, but now there's an entire website dedicated to scouting the cheapest fuel in your area. GasBuddy.com caters to all those drivers in North America (yes, Canada too) struggling with the soaring fuel prices.
In addition to offering tips on the most affordable place to pump in your neigbourhood, GasBuddy offers comparisons of all other regions in the U.S. and Canada and offers neat bits of information such as 10 lowest gas prices by state and city as well as the trend. The cheapest? Tulsa, OK at 3.700, with the trend going down. The highest is in Ventura, CA at 4.607. For Canada, it offers the lowest provincial and city prices, the most affordable being Edmonton, AB at 131.869. The highest is Victoria, BC at 147.406, followed closely by Vancouver at 147.032, both with an upward trend.
To make the most of the site, drivers can plug in their city, state or zip code and GasBuddy pulls up a map of regular prices in the past 4-96 hours, depending which you choose, and in regular, mid-grade, premium or diesel.
Other sites that will help plan your next fuel up are Gas Prices from MapQuest and Gas Price Watch as well as the widget we previously featured.
Gas Price Maps
GasBuddy
Trend Themes
1. Price Comparison Websites - GasBuddy.com is an example of a price comparison website that helps drivers find the cheapest fuel in their area, presenting opportunities for similar platforms in other industries such as grocery stores or electronics retailers.
2. Real-time Pricing Data - GasBuddy's ability to provide real-time gas prices based on location and fuel type highlights the potential for other industries to adopt real-time pricing data, such as airline ticket prices or hotel room rates.
3. Localized Fuel Price Insights - The popularity of GasBuddy's localized fuel price information presents an opportunity for industries like ride-sharing or delivery services to incorporate fuel cost data into their platforms, allowing drivers to plan their routes more efficiently.
Industry Implications
1. Travel and Transportation - GasBuddy's gas price maps cater to the needs of drivers and can serve as a model for other travel-related industries to create platforms that provide real-time cost information to consumers.
2. E-commerce and Retail - The concept of price comparison websites like GasBuddy can be applied to the e-commerce and retail industry to help consumers find the best deals on products across various online stores.
3. Food and Beverage - The success of GasBuddy in the fuel industry suggests an opportunity for the food and beverage industry to create platforms that allow consumers to compare prices and find the most affordable groceries or dining options in their area.