The spike comes amid the war in Iran and a battle to reopen major trade routes in the region through the Strait of Hormuz.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The average price of gasoline in the U.S. passed $4 Tuesday morning for the first time since 2022. The spike comes amid the war in Iran and a battle to reopen major trade routes in the region through the Strait of Hormuz.
Average prices have already jumped more than a dollar since the war began, meaning Charlotte drivers are already feeling the stress.
“I went up double in gas in the past few weeks,” Chris Baylock, who drives for a local carrier company, said. “Probably about 50 bucks on this one.”
He said his company is already seeing a dip in profits. While that cost has not been passed onto the consumer yet, he worries it’s going to get worse.
“It’s taxing on all small businesses and just average, everyday people,” he said. “It’s just a hard thing right now. Just got to buckle down and do what we have to do.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt released the following statement in response to Tuesday’s milestone: “When Operation Epic Fury is complete, gas prices will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions. President Trump remains committed to fully unleashing American energy dominance, lowering costs, and putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking American families.”
But how short-term the conflict will be is still unclear.
Tuesday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held his first briefing on the war in nearly two weeks and declined to specify a timeline further than what President Donald Trump has said recently
“He said four to six weeks, six to eight weeks, three — It could be any particular number, but we would never reveal precisely what it is, because our goal is to finish those objectives, and we’re well on our way,” Hegseth said.
Baylock said even one day of higher prices is too much.
“You have to sacrifice on some things, and you just got to continue to do the best you can with what we have,” he said. “But like I said, if we didn’t have to do it, why should we?”
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.
