WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 24, 2022) — Despite typical low seasonal demand for gasoline, pump prices are clawing their way higher. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.33, two cents more than a week ago. The culprit is the rising price for oil, which is now bobbing around $85 per barrel, nearly $20 more than in November. Last week, both OPEC and U.S. energy officials said the COVID-19 omicron variant is no longer expected to slow the continued recovery of petroleum demand in 2022. Despite this, OPEC and its allies are maintaining their planned modest production increases and will not dramatically ramp up output. The result will be a continued tight supply of oil.

“Since dipping to $3.28 in the first week of January, the national average for a gallon of gas has slowly started to rise again,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And as long as the price for oil remains elevated, consumers will be feeling it at the pump.”

Most car owners know that they should get their oil changed regularly. But what many people don’t know is that they should also change their car’s oil filter regularly.

Not changing your car’s oil filter can lead to several problems, including clogged filters and decreased performance.

So if you haven’t had your car’s oil filter changed recently, now is the time to do it. At Virginia Auto Service, Scottsdale & Phoenix, Arizona, we can help you with all your car repair needs.

Signs of Clogged or Leaking Oil Filter that you should urgently address:

Overheating Engine

When a car’s engine air filter becomes blocked, you’ll notice that performance and fuel economy suffer when driving on open roads as well at gas stations.

If you don’t have enough flow-of-engine fluids, your car will gradually wear down and become less efficient. As a result, it decreases your vehicle from performing essential functions like starting up in cold weather and will lead to costly repairs.

With new major spending packages investing billions of dollars in electric vehicles in the U.S., some analysts have raised concerns over how green the electric vehicle industry actually is, focusing particularly on indirect emissions caused within the supply chains of the vehicle components and the fuels used to power electricity that charges the vehicles.

But a recent study from the Yale School of the Environment published in Nature Communications found that the total indirect emissions from electric vehicles pale in comparison to the indirect emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. This is in addition to the direct emissions from combusting fossil fuels -- either at the tailpipe for conventional vehicles or at the power plant smokestack for electricity generation -- showing electric vehicles have a clear advantage emissions-wise over conventional vehicles.

"The surprising element was how much lower the emissions of electric vehicles were," says postdoctoral associate Stephanie Weber. "The supply chain for combustion vehicles is just so dirty that electric vehicles can't surpass them, even when you factor in indirect emissions."

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2022 -- Hyundai today won five U.S. News and World Report 2022 Best Cars for the Money Awards, more than any other automotive brand. Covering 11 automotive categories, the awards put a spotlight on cars and SUVs that represent the best combination of long-term value and excellent ownership experience. Scores are based on safety and reliability data, as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press. The process includes real-time transaction prices and five-year total cost of ownership data: https://cars.usnews.com/cars-money.

The five Hyundai models won in the following categories:

- Latest in long list of global accolades for Kia's first dedicated EV

- EV6 also named 'Electric SUV of the Year' by What Car?

- Only the second fully electric vehicle ever to win the 'Car of the Year' award – after the Kia Niro EV in 2019

- Kia Sorento wins 2022 'Tow Car Award'

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 20, 2022 -- The Kia EV6 has won the overall 'Car of the Year' award at the prestigious 2022 What Car? Awards, alongside being named 'Electric SUV of the Year'. This historic win for Kia's first dedicated electric vehicle marks only the second time that an EV has won the What Car? 'Car of the Year' crown after the Kia Niro EV in 2019.

The latest 'Car of the Year' trophy for the Kia EV6 follows a record number of awards and accolades from experts at opinion-leading international media titles in the 10 months since the car was first introduced globally in March last year.