Another Reason To Love EVs: Costco Is Rationing Motor Oil

Motor oil is getting harder to find and more expensive, and it's showing up at Costco. The warehouse club raised the price of its Kirkland Signature full-synthetic motor oil to $58 for a 10-quart pack, up from the mid-$30s, and now limits members to one purchase at a time, with a cap of two per week. The cause is a squeeze on base oil, the raw material refiners turn into finished motor oil. The U.S. imports most of its base oil, and the ongoing war in Iran has disrupted shipping and pushed up crude prices, making it more profitable for refiners to turn oil into gasoline and diesel than into lubricant. Regional attacks near Middle East shipping routes have added to the strain.

None of this touches homes directly, but it matters for anyone weighing a gas car against an electric one. Fully electric vehicles never need oil changes, so this price spike and rationing simply don't apply to them. Plug-in hybrids and extended-range EVs still use oil, so they're not fully insulated either. For gas-powered cars, motor oil is only an occasional cost, but rising prices add another line item to what it costs to keep a gas vehicle running over time.

Separately, Costco is currently offering members a discount on three all-electric Volvo models — the EX90, EX40, and EX30 — worth $1,000 to $2,000 depending on the model and membership level. That offer runs through November 2 and can be combined with other manufacturer or state incentives, though the federal EV tax credit is no longer available.