Less Sulphur in gasoline?

[wwheeler]

Has anyone other than me heard about the EPA's attempt to lower the sulphur in gasoline by 60%? I am not an expert on fuels and was wondering how it will effect our cars?

Is the sulphur beneficial or has it just always been in there and no one wanted to remove because of cost?   

[66andBlue]

Hi Wallace,
it should not affect our cars at all since they don't have catalytic converters. The lower the sulfur content the more efficient are the converters and the longer they live.
The new proposed rules would impose the same standards that California has had for some time now and for this reason the auto makers favor the new rules because for them uniformity would increase.
Of course the oil industry is opposed since they haven't made enough profit in the past few years. 
  See: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-gasoline-standards-20130329,0,3690826.story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-administration-moves-ahead-with-sweeping-rules-requiring-cleaner-gasoline/2013/03/28/4ea2e01c-97cd-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html?hpid=z1

[mdsalemi]

So many states have adopted the California rules, I'm not sure that the manufacturers actually make a different vehicles any longer for CA (and the posse behind them.)  They do have different warranties, though, as part of the deal; I think that not only are the CARB rules strong, they require a certain warranty to ensure the car stays that way.  Good for consumers.

We are sure to hear some wailing and gnashing of teeth.  This mandate will only give the oil companies/refiners yet another excuse to raise prices.  Along with the Nigerian insurgents, broken pipelines, refinery fires, shortages of additives, spring/summer blend change-overs, they'll have this low-sulfur mandate...

[wwheeler]

I didn't realize California already had the low sulphur gas. That's a relief. I was afraid it was going to be another one of those ethanol/ZDDP issues that can affect our cars.