Superfuels: are they worth the money? - What the oil companies say

Shell
'V-Power has been designed to give improved performance and responsiveness.

'It can help new cars to perform like new for longer, and in some cases can help rejuvenate older cars.

'The formula has a friction modifier, a 99 octane rating and a cleaning formula that prevents power-robbing deposits in the engine.

'V-Power has been evaluated by Shell over a long period, using a cross-section of cars to verify our claims.

'Since its launch last year, anecdotal evidence suggests that customers have had additional fuel efficiency benefits.'
Nick Adams
Shell UK spokesman

BP
'BP Ultimate can start working from the first tankful - but because benefits generally increase with continuous use, we have evaluated BP Ultimate in long-term fleet tests using a range of vehicles of various makes, models, engine sizes and ages over many thousands of miles.

'The majority of testing has been carried out by independent laboratories in accordance with industry-standard test procedures.

'Results show that BP Ultimate fuels can boost power and acceleration, reduce exhaust emissions and improve economy, compared with ordinary fuels.'
Sheila Williams
BP spokesman

Esso
'Esso in the UK has been including detergents in all its petrols since the late 1980s.

'Our Energy Supreme has a superior detergency performance.

'Using it helps to clean up the fuel engine system so that the engine may give more power, smoother acceleration, reduced emissions and improved fuel economy, particularly in cars with adaptive engine management systems.

'Its use in other vehicles can be beneficial, too.

'In the relatively short duration of What Car? testing, however, it is unlikely that the presence of detergents has had a big impact on the results. '
David Eglinton
Esso spokesman

Total
'Tests and feedback have shown that Total Excellium improves fuel economy and performance.

'Tests ran over two years, with 100 vehicles tested over 3000 hours and 217,000 miles.

'These showed that Excellium improves a car's mpg by 4%, which equates to an average of 14 miles extra per tank, compared with standard fuels.
'Total UK is 100% confident in Excellium and guarantees that, if customers do not see better fuel economy, Total will refund the difference between the cost of standard Total fuel and Excellium.'
Iain Hutchison
Total spokesman