本月早些时候，美国前总统特朗普盛赞费城地区一家名为 ** 自由燃油连锁(Freedom Fuel Network)** 的零售商，称其十分精明。该连锁主动将油价降至每加仑 3.47 美元，比宾州均价低约 50 美分。
这家连锁在宾夕法尼亚、新泽西两州共计挂牌 25 座加油站。但梳理公开备案信息后发现，关于自由燃油连锁的资料少得可怜;业内分析师也对该定价能否盈利提出强烈质疑，一位行业专家直言，这套经营模式无异于 “纵身跳下悬崖”。
白宫在社交平台发文称：“今年夏天，特朗普总统带头推动油价下行，帮老百姓省下更多开支。这些加油站把零售价压到 3.47 美元 / 加仑，以此致敬我们第 47 任总统。”
美国广播公司(ABC 新闻)调取行业数据测算：以当前市场行情，按这个价格卖油几乎无利润可言，25 家参与站点每月合计亏损或将超 25 万美元。自由燃油连锁从未对外披露自身经营策略，至少两家头部石油企业也主动和白宫力推的这家加油站划清界限。
一名白宫官员向 ABC 新闻表示，自由燃油连锁是私营企业，与总统不存在关联，企业只是 “主动压缩利润，让费城、新泽西的车主能加得起油”。
该官员补充：“本届政府未参与这家公司运营，也未向其提供任何资金;不存在其他机构或个人补贴油价差额。”
“他们发自内心热爱美国”
特朗普出面力挺这家平价加油站之际，伊朗局势持续升级，国际油价一路飙升。上月，特朗普在社交平台批评各大石油巨头，指责其油价下调速度跟不上原油降价节奏，并下令司法部对石油企业展开调查。
周四，宾州德雷舍镇一家自由燃油加油站里，不少顾客为低价油价叫好，但也有人疑惑：加油站这么卖油明显亏本，钱到底从哪补?
当地居民蒂姆・克恩斯接受 ABC 旗下 WPVI 电视台采访时说：“美国人都想问清楚这笔账：到底是谁在掏钱补贴，每加仑亏 50 美分，只为给特朗普撑场面?”
核查工商备案信息发现：宾州、新泽西两州均没有登记名为 “自由燃油连锁” 的经营主体;但一家注册地在特拉华州的有限责任公司自由燃油连锁有限责任公司，在 7 月 1 日当天提交了商标注册申请 —— 恰好是特朗普在社交平台大力宣传这家平价加油站的同一天。
特朗普 7 月 1 日发文写道：“7 月 3 日起，大费城地区 25 座‘自由燃油’加油站统一降价。这家零售商带头让利，其他商家应当效仿。他们这么做，只因热爱美国。” 他还声称，油价很快会重回此前美伊局势缓和时的历史低位。
美国专利商标局官网信息显示，该公司登记地址是特拉华州一栋办公楼，这栋楼同时为数十万家企业代办注册代理业务。商标申请文件标注，企业经营范围为汽车加油站与便利店。
ABC 新闻联系提交商标申请的律师求证，对方拒绝透露企业任何额外信息。
来自纽约史泰登岛的律师安娜・维舍夫通过邮件回复：“很抱歉，除美国专利商标局公开数据库载明内容外，我无权披露本案任何相关信息。”
无异于跳崖式经营
自由燃油官网标注的 25 座加油站，新泽西 5 座、宾州 20 座，表面均为独立自营。但谷歌街景历史记录显示，其中 8 座站点过去十年曾挂靠壳牌、太阳石油、海湾、埃克森、菲利普斯 66、瓦莱罗等全国性石油品牌。两家涉事石油企业回应采访，主动与自由燃油切割关系。
壳牌发言人针对宾州布鲁克黑文站点表态：“壳牌与自由燃油连锁不存在任何隶属关系，也未参与其创立。我们了解到，参与本次降价活动的这座站点此前只是挂壳牌招牌经营。”
瓦莱罗发言人谈及宾州布里斯托尔的合作站点时称：“瓦莱罗已停止向该站点供油，同时正在拆除站内所有瓦莱罗品牌标识。”
自由燃油连锁并未说明 3.47 美元 / 加仑的低价会维持多久，该企业也未第一时间回应 ABC 新闻的采访请求。
多名受访行业专家均不看好这套低价模式。油价平台 Gas Buddy 数据显示，宾州普通汽油均价 3.98 美元 / 加仑，新泽西均价 3.91 美元 / 加仑。
海湾石油首席能源顾问、石油分析师汤姆・克洛扎表示，绝大多数加油站本身利润空间本就十分微薄。
“过去几年，加油站每加仑汽油毛利润不到 40 美分。” 克洛扎解释，“重点是这只是毛利，信用卡手续费、人工、水电照明等各项开支扣完，净利润还要再缩水一截。”
道琼斯旗下石油资讯服务商 OPIS 数据显示：7 月 3 日特朗普宣布降价活动启动当天，普通汽油批发出厂价为 2.89 美元 / 加仑。算上运输成本、宾州每加仑 57 美分州燃油税、18 美分联邦燃油税，加油站保本售价至少要达到 3.64 美元 / 加仑。
按 OPIS 数据测算：自由燃油旗下站点卖 3.47 美元 / 加仑，每售出一加仑至少亏 17 美分。克洛扎给出全美加油站单站月均销量约 6.8 万加仑，以此计算，单站每月至少亏损 1.15 万美元。
7 月 3 日后，受伊朗冲突影响油价持续走高，站点亏损进一步扩大。OPIS 数据显示，7 月 9 日宾州汽油批发价上涨 14 美分，达到 3.03 美元 / 加仑。面对不断上涨的原油成本，克洛扎评价自由燃油的经营模式：“完全是跳崖式操作。”
加油站生意本就难做，近年利润有所回暖
克洛扎也补充道，过去十年加油站盈利状况整体好转，每加仑毛利润从 20 美分翻倍至 40 美分。大型连锁加油站便利店品牌坎伯兰农场近期递交上市申请，好市多也陆续开设独立加油站;宾州部分高流量站点，比如 BJ 仓储会员店、好市多加油站，售价甚至能做到比自由燃油更低。
“加油站生意历来难做，现在依旧辛苦，但这十年盈利空间比前些年宽松不少，这也是不少零售品牌冲刺上市的原因。” 克洛扎说。
他同时提出一种可能性：加油站可依靠便利店商品营收弥补燃油亏损，3.47 美元的低价更像是引流营销手段。上月，美国移动运营商 T-Mobile 就联合壳牌，在洛杉矶、休斯顿、芝加哥推出周年促销，油价低至 1.99 美元 / 加仑。
特朗普公开力挺自由燃油的同一时段，美国司法部表态：“正密切监控石油市场与油价走势，将采取一切合规手段打击推高油价的违法行为。”
7 月 3 日，司法部副总检察长斯坦利・伍德沃德与联邦贸易委员会主席安德鲁・弗格森联名致函各州总检察长，文中直接引用特朗普那条下令司法部调查石油企业哄抬油价的社交帖文，呼吁各州彻查油价跌幅跟不上原油降价的问题。
信函写道：“当前原油价格快速回落，但大部分降价红利并未落到美国消费者身上。” 并督促各州 “动用州内全部法律工具，调查、惩处一切不合理推高油价的违规行为。”
Trump-promoted discount gas stations fuel a mystery and questions
PresidentDonald Trumpearlier this month praised a "very smart retailer" called the Freedom Fuel Network in the Philadelphia area for voluntarily lowering the price of gas to $3.47 a gallon, undercutting the state average by about 50 cents.
While the network lists 25 gas stations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, a review of public records found scant information about the Freedom Fuel Network, and industry analysts have raised doubts that the stations could profitably sell fuel at that price point, with one expert describing the business model as "jumping off a cliff."
"President Trump is leading the charge to lower gas prices this summer -- putting more money in your pocket," the White House said on social media, saying the stations are "lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th President."
According to industry data reviewed by ABC News, selling gas at that price point, under the current market conditions, would likely eliminate any profit and potentially cost the 25 participating stations a total of more than quarter million dollars every month. The Freedom Fuel Network has not publicly disclosed its business strategy, and at least two major petroleum companies have distanced themselves from the White House-promoted operation.
A White House official told ABC News that the Freedom Fuel Network is a private company not associated with the president, that is "simply reducing their margin to make prices at the pump more affordable for drivers in Philadelphia and New Jersey."
"The Administration is not involved in the company, nor has the Administration given the company any funding. There is no other entity or person subsidizing the lower gasoline costs," the official said.
'They love the USA'
Trump's support for the Freedom Fuel Network comes as oil prices spike amid the escalatingconflict in Iran. On social media last month, Trump criticized "big oil companies" for not reducing gas prices at the same rate as crude oil, directing the Department of Justice to investigate oil firms.
While many customers at a Freedom Fuel Network station in Drescher, Pennsylvania, on Thursday celebrated the low prices, some wondered how the station can sell gas at an apparent loss.
"I want Americans to be asking, 'Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50 cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good?" local resident Tim Kerns told ABC News station WPVI.
No business with the name "Freedom Fuel Network" appears to be registered in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey, but a Delaware-based entity called "Freedom Fuel Network, LLC" applied for trademark on July 1 -- the same day that Trump promoted the discounted gas network on social media.
"On July 3rd, the Freedom Fuel Network will be lowering gas prices at 25 'FREEDOM FUEL' Stations across the Greater Philadelphia Area. This Retailer is taking the lead, and others should follow. They are doing this because they love the U.S.A." Trump wrote on July 1, adding that "gas prices will soon be back to the record low prices Americans enjoyed at the pump before our very successful 'excursion' in Iran."
According to the U.S. Trademark Office website, the Freedom Fuel Network lists its physical address as an office building in Delaware that serves as the registered agent for hundreds of thousands of businesses. The application says the company operates automotive service stations and convenience stores.
When reached for comment, an attorney who submitted the trademark application declined to provide any additional details about the company.
"Unfortunately, I am not authorized to disclose any information regarding this matter beyond what is officially included in the public database of the U.S. Trademark Office," Anna Vishev, an attorney based on Staten Island, New York, said in an email to ABC News.
'Jumping off a cliff'
The 25 gas stations listed on the Freedom Fuel Network's website -- five in New Jersey and 20 in Pennsylvania -- appear to be independently owned and operated, though eight were associated with national fuel companies over the last decade, according to Google Maps' Street View, including Shell, Sunoco, Gulf Exxon, Phillips 66 and Valero. Two of those companies responded to ABC News' requests for comment and distanced themselves from the Freedom Fuel Network.
"Shell is not affiliated with the Freedom Fuel Network and was not involved in its formation. We understand one location participating in the initiative was previously Shell-branded," a Shell representative said about a gas station in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania.
"Valero no longer supplies this site and is in the process of removing Valero branding from the location," a Valero representative said about a gas station in Bristol, Pennsylvania, associated with the Freedom Fuel Network.
It is unclear how long the Freedom Fuel Network plans to continue selling gas at $3.47 a gallon. The company did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
Industry experts ABC News spoke with expressed skepticism that the company can continue selling fuel at the $3.47 price point. According to Gas Buddy, the average price for agallon of regular gasin Pennsylvania is $3.98, and the average price in New Jersey is $3.91.
Most gas companies already operating with tight margins, according to Tom Kloza, a petroleum analyst and chief energy adviser for Gulf Oil.
"The gross profit margin in the last few years has been just under 40 cents a gallon," said Kloza. "I emphasize gross because you know, you have to have credit card charges, labor, lighting, all sorts of different things that impact what you net out."
According to data from Dow Jones's Oil Price Information Service, the average rack price for regular gas -- the wholesale cost before gas is delivered to stations -- was $2.89 on July 3, when Trump said the promotion would begin. To break even -- including delivery costs, Pennsylvania's state gasoline tax of 57 cents per gallon, and the federal gas tax of 18 cents per gallon -- stations would need to sell gas for at least $3.64 per gallon.
Based on the OPIS data, participating Freedom Fuel Network stations that sell gas at $3.47 would lose at least 17 cents for every gallon of fuel they sell. If they sold 68,000 gallons a month -- approximately the national average according to Kloza -- the participating stations would lose at least $11,500 over the course of a month.
With gas prices spiking since July 3 amid the conflict in Iran, the losses would be even higher. The wholesale price of regular gas in Pennsylvania increased by 14 cents to $3.03 on July 9, according to OPIS. With oil prices rising, Kloza described the Freedom Fuel Network's business model as "jumping off a cliff."
'A tough business'
Kloza, however, also noted that gas stations have become more profitable in the last decade, with their gross profit margin doubling from about 20 cents per gallon to 40 cents. Cumberland Farms, a major chain of gas stations and convenience stores, recently filed to become a public company, and Costco recently began to launch standalone gas stations. Some stations in Pennsylvania -- particularly high-volume gas stations like BJ's and Costco -- have also recently been able to sell fuel cheaper than Freedom Fuel Network.
"It always was a tough business, and it's still a tough business, but it's been much more lucrative this decade than prior, and that's one of the reasons why you're seeing some retailers go public," said Kloza.
Kloza also said that the stations may be able to make back some of their money through their convenience stores, and suggested the $3.47 price could be a broader promotional effort to attract customers. Last month, T-Mobile partnered with Shell to sell $1.99 gas at stations in Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago as part of an anniversary promotion.
Trump's public praise of the Freedom Fuel Network came the same time that the Department of Justice announced that it was "closely monitoring petroleum markets and gas prices and will take all appropriate measures to stop illegal conduct contributing to high gas prices."
In a letter to state attorneys general on July 3, DOJ Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson directly cited a social media post from Trump -- in which hedirected the DOJto investigate oil companies for price gouging -- and called on states to investigate why gas prices have not come down at the same rate that crude oil has.
"Although crude oil prices are now dropping rapidly, far too much of that price cut is being withheld from Americans when they pay for gasoline," the letter said, urging states to "use all tools available under your state laws to investigate and prosecute any misconduct causing unjustified price increase."
