Diamonds are formed under pressure

class=”sc-97fd9fa8-0 jNFKxv”>

Just a few months ago, realistic gas station price comparisons were only possible if you drove to different gas stations. This was not only impractical, but for the most part ecologically and economically meaningless. Not only that, but the relatively high gross margins of local gas stations were, in my opinion, a clear sign that competition between gas stations should be practically intensified. My idea was a comparison app based on a proven Austrian model: guaranteed real-time data and showing only the cheapest gas stations (after all, I don’t want to make it easier for gas station owners to use their neighbors’ higher prices as a benchmark).

Since the public’s need for transparency is clearly great, TCS picked up the idea and implemented its own version: “TCS Gasoline Price Radar” has been online since November last year. The comparison platform receives data received from users. Thus, customers are data providers and beneficiaries at the same time.

So far, the data quality can still be improved, but it is clearly better than many other private fuel price comparisons. It is logical that long-range tests are yet to come. Sustained pressure on prices only occurs if many customers regularly visit the cheapest gas stations. And they will only be able to do this if the data is reliable and complete in the long run. The merger with Comparis, which was announced last week, is certainly an advantage to achieve this goal. Because not all of the displayed data is up-to-date: if you zoom in a bit on the overview map, you will see many petrol stations whose prices are outdated by several hours or days. Unfortunately, there is always information a week or even a month old. I hope that the quality of the data can still be improved. I would be happy if this private sector initiative could be implemented and bring the desired results in the long term.

“Time is what you see on the clock,” said Albert Einstein. The signs of the times are usually harder to fight, but in this special case, the Electromobility Roadmap makes a clear statement: by 2025, every second newly registered car must be electric. That’s why it’s important to me that electric motorized residents of the state are already being considered today. In a government decision based on the Austrian model, the integration of electronic charging stations was planned as a second step. Accordingly, I strongly recommend that TCS and Comparis integrate the independent price comparison of electronic charging stations into their comparison platform as soon as possible.

Source: Blick