Huawei Executive Tests: Gasoline Remains Usable After Two Years in Tank—With Conditions

On January 28, Li Xiaolong, CTO of Huawei's Terminal BG, shared his real-world testing experience on Weibo: his Aito M9 plug-in hybrid vehicle hadn't been refueled for nearly two years, and even when the fuel level recently ran low, the car continued to operate normally—demonstrating that gasoline stored in a sealed fuel tank showed no significant degradation after two years. However, he emphasized that gasoline shelf life is highly dependent on storage conditions. Regular unleaded gasoline can last approximately 12 months in a sealed fuel tank, while ethanol-blended gasoline lasts only 1–3 months. If the tank remains half-full for extended periods—exposing the fuel to more air—the shelf life shortens to 3–6 months for unleaded gasoline and even less for ethanol-blended fuel. Gasoline stored in open containers may degrade within as little as 7 days to 3 months due to air exposure. Experts recommend that if owners of plug-in hybrids plan to use little or no fuel over long periods, they should avoid treating their vehicles as pure electric cars—or consider opting for a fully electric vehicle instead.