With one car you have to refuel on the left, with the other car on the right. Why does that sometimes differ? Mobility organization VAB looked into it and tips how you can see at a glance where your tank is behind the wheel.
Whether the fuel cap is on the left or right depends on which side of the road you drive on in the country of origin. For example, a European car brand will usually put the fuel cap on the right side, while an Asian brand does the opposite.
That is mainly for safety. If the steering wheel is on the left, the cap is on the right and you should not stand on the side where traffic is rushing by. Moreover, this way you cannot swing open the door on the driver’s side against the pump.
This symbol in your car tells you where your tank is
That ‘logic’ is increasingly disappearing. For example, many brands are part of a large international group, which disrupts the left/right rule. Just think of the French Renault and the Japanese Mitsubishi that work together intensively.
It is also possible that companies from a country where driving is on the right still places the fuel cap on the left, because the brand mainly sells cars in left-driving areas. Finally, there are even differences within the brands. The Peugeot 208 has the cap on the left, while the larger 308 has the cap on the right.
But how do you know whether you should stand left or right to easily reach the petrol or diesel tank? That’s very simple: the arrow on your dashboard, on the icon next to your fuel level, shows you which side you should refuel.
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