Fuel tank on left or right: what % of new cars?

[LotusOmega375D]

Is it a marque specific thing? Just curious to know which side of the petrol/diesel pump gets most used. We have two different model VW daily drivers. Both have the fuel filler on the right. A quick scan of my neighbours’ Peugeot and Volvo shows the same, so it makes me think that most modern cars have it on the right side. Yes I know you can haul the filler pipe across to the other side and fill up, but most people go for the easy nearest side option. So if my 30 seconds of research is correct, the left side of any filling station pump will likely be the busiest.

[PaulJC84]

Most cars I have owned have had the filler on the right. All of those were European.

The one Japanese car I have owned has the filler on the left.

[kambites]

I think there's a slight tendency for them to be on the passenger side of the manufacturer's domestic market, but it's certainly not 100% (indeed I own an exception).

I guess it's one of few things in the automotive industry where there was a disincentive to standardise, given that most fuel stations have an equal number of "left-handed" and "right-handed" pumps.

Edited by kambites on Friday 25th October 09:47

[alscar]

2x Audi and 1x Classic Defender all on the rh side.
My Aston's is on the left.

[Scrump]

I know this is not a new car, but I can’t be the only one reminded of this:

[alscar]

Scrump said:

I know this is not a new car, but I can’t be the only one reminded of this:

Indeed.
Also reminds me of my wife's old ex RAF Land-rover where the filling tank was under the drivers seat, albeit rh side.

[NortonES2]

My Ford Corsair had it behind the rear number plate so right in the middle of the car.

[V88Dicky]

Doesn’t matter so much these days, with multi pump, multi lane petrol stations, but back in the day, cars would usually have the petrol cap on the nearside, for ease of fuelling when there was only one or two pumps.

Likewise the tail pipe on the offside so it was furthest from pedestrians, and indicators on the opposite side to the gearstick.

We have a mishmash of everything now, due to most of the cars on our roads being produced in LHD countries.

For reference, my Swift is on the nearside, as is the OHs Citroen C3

[MonteCarlos1]

My Toyota has it on the LHS/passenger side, first car I've had with it on that side.

Have noticed it's much easier to get a pump at the petrol station on that side as most of the big marques have the filler on the RHS/drivers side and everyone queues to get a pump on that side.

[nutsyH]

MonteCarlos1 said:

My Toyota has it on the LHS/passenger side, first car I've had with it on that side.

Have noticed it's much easier to get a pump at the petrol station on that side as most of the big marques have the filler on the RHS/drivers side and everyone queues to get a pump on that side.

My Mercedes also. Agree about ease of getting a pump at that side.

[king arthur]

NortonES2 said:

My Ford Corsair had it behind the rear number plate so right in the middle of the car.

BMW E3 saloons also had it behind the rear number plate.

[Honourable Dead Snark]

My Toyota (14 plate) has it on the RH/Driver side which I prefer.

We have had 2 VW group cars that were both RHS. Can’t remember beyond that.

[rodericb]

LotusOmega375D said:

Is it a marque specific thing? Just curious to know which side of the petrol/diesel pump gets most used. We have two different model VW daily drivers. Both have the fuel filler on the right. A quick scan of my neighbours’ Peugeot and Volvo shows the same, so it makes me think that most modern cars have it on the right side. Yes I know you can haul the filler pipe across to the other side and fill up, but most people go for the easy nearest side option. So if my 30 seconds of research is correct, the left side of any filling station pump will likely be the busiest.

I think it's a designed-left-hand-drive-or-right-hand-drive thing but you do get exceptions. Japanese cars usually on the left. European cars usually on the right. But I've found pictures of Alfa Romeo Giulias in Italy and the USA which have the filler on the left.... Maserati Quattroporte? On the left. Maserati MC20? on the right...

[Gericho]

It's the same with exhausts, some will be on the left or right. Something to do with where the manufacturer is based - LHD or RHD market.

[kambites]

Gericho said:

It's the same with exhausts, some will be on the left or right. Something to do with where the manufacturer is based - LHD or RHD market.

I'd imagine with older cars, at least those with longitudinally mounted inline engines, the exhaust location was primarily determined by which side of the head the exhaust ports were on. If there's no good reason to do otherwise, you presumably keep the exhaust on the side it starts?

Obviously transverse engines (or indeed inline Vs) make that a bit of a moot point though.

[zorba_the_greek]

Scrump said:

I know this is not a new car, but I can’t be the only one reminded of this:

[CKY]

king arthur said:

NortonES2 said:

My Ford Corsair had it behind the rear number plate so right in the middle of the car.

BMW E3 saloons also had it behind the rear number plate.

Well remembered RE: the E3. I fancied myself as a bit of a 'Jim Clark' in my youth, so managed to procure a works-style fuel tank for my Mk1 Cortina; this mounted up against the rear bulkhead (behind the rear seats) and I had the filler cap fitted in the centre of the rear scuttle at the base of the rear window. Absolute waste of time and money on a road car, but I thought it was the mutt's nuts (image as fitted to BJH417B below):

[Pica-Pica]

The vehicle package design will lay out where all systems run - exhaust, fuel, and so on. It may be designed around the majority market, it may not. Ultimately it will depend on the most crash-worthiness result for ALL markets.

[WPA]

MonteCarlos1 said:

My Toyota has it on the LHS/passenger side, first car I've had with it on that side.

Have noticed it's much easier to get a pump at the petrol station on that side as most of the big marques have the filler on the RHS/drivers side and everyone queues to get a pump on that side.

My Mazda is the same, as you said it is much easier to get a pump.

[LeeM135i]

Not really thought about it before but in our house

Mercedes B Class, filler on the left
Mercedes C Class, filler on the right
Polestar 2, plug on the left

Neighbours (looking out of the window)

BMW Mini - filler on the right
Mercedes E class - filler on the right
VW Passat - filler on the right
VW Golf - filler on the right
Mazda 2 - filler on the left
Hyundai SUV - filler on the left

Would suggest a slight preference for the right in my sample group but it's fairly even. Would have thought its to do with the packaging of the car as most fuel stations have a 50/50 split of left and right pumps so having all the fillers on one side would be silly.