MapQuest has announced the launch of a new gas portal (www.mapquest.com/gasprices), with information on gas prices at more than 100,000 stations around the country, as well as the location of stations offering diesel and alternative fuels. Finding gas stations online is one of the many place searches that users can perform with MapQuest's Points of Interest database, which contains more than 15 million places. Utilizing pricing data from Oil Pricing Information Service (OPIS), which is updated up to seven times per day, the site allows users to easily find fuel stations, get maps and directions and check gas prices all in one place. With information from the Department of Energy, consumers will also be able to find listings for alternative fuel stations, including diesel, biodiesel, CNG (compressed natural gas), E-85, electric, hydrogen, LPG (propane) and LNG (liquefied natural gas). In addition, the site will display the highest and lowest gas prices in the country and in the coming months will be accessible on cell phones via MapQuest Mobile with a link to directions. Consumer benefits include:

• Convenience and integration of MapQuest's directions feature allows consumers to map out a route to the lowest-priced gas stations;

• Ability to pinpoint the most convenient gas stations located close to user by entering in an address, city, state and zip;

• Ability to zoom in and out on the map and pan around to see all gas station locations in a specified area;

• Ability to locate the type of fuel stations a consumer wants by fuel type and grade, such as Premium Gasoline or E85, and

• Ability to find convenient gas stations by brand and search for the most convenient gas stations up to a 50-mile radius. Forthcoming plans for the site include a gas price trip calculator, fuel station amenities and other mapping features.