Gasoline prices in the United States have been creeping up for a number years now. With little doubt that the prices will ever be under a dollar again, hybrid vehicles have become increasingly popular, with the Toyota Prius being a leading vehicle sold in the United States. If buying a new hybrid ride is not your thing, then you may want to find cheaper fuel. MapQuest, the online mapping service owned by AOL, recently launched a new mashup service called MapQuest Gas Prices aimed at helping users find the cheapest gasoline around.
MapQuest Gas Prices uses pricing data from Oil Pricing Information Service which is updated up to seven times per day to plot all of the gas prices in your area. Mashing up gas prices with a map is not a new concept as other sites like Map Gas Prices, GasBuddy.com and Record Gas Watch have been around for awhile now but MapQuest takes the idea a step further by also incorporating gas stations that sell diesel and alternative fuels in addition to links and information about alternative fueled vehicles. MapQuest also provides driving directions to any of the sites, which is also a key differentiator from other similar gas mapping sites. Below is a screen-shot showing a simple gas price mapping.
Interestingly, MapQuest has plans to ensure the site will be accessible on cell phones via
MapQuest Mobile with a link to directions in the coming months, so users should always have the lowest gas prices at your fingertips whether on a computer or on a mobile device.
