Adrian Portelli has changed the fuel board at his members-only LMCT+ servo in Preston, dropping diesel below $2 a litre after drivers asked for a better deal.
Diesel drivers have become the latest winners in Adrian Portelli’s fuel price war, with the billionaire cutting prices below $2 a litre at his Preston servo.
The LMCT+ founder said he had overhauled the board after motorists asked for cheaper diesel, lifting 91 unleaded from 99.9c to 119.9c while cutting diesel to 199.9c.
“I’ve done something a little bit different,” Portelli said in an Instagram video.
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“We had a lot of people wanting cheaper diesel, so I’ve added 20c to the 91. It was 99c, I added 20c to that and then I’ve subtracted 20c on the diesel.
“So there is a one now in front of the diesel. I’m sure you guys haven’t seen that in a while, and everything on the board now has a one in front of it.
“That’s how it should be. Get on it.”
The updated LMCT+ board showed 91 unleaded at 119.9c a litre, 98 unleaded at 191.9c and diesel at 199.9c.
The move keeps every listed fuel type at the members-only Plenty Rd site starting with a one after a chaotic week of discounts, crowds and police attending the Preston servo.
Diesel drivers could save about $1453 a year if they filled up weekly at Portelli’s members-only Preston site instead of nearby average prices. Picture: Instagram/adrian_portelli
PetrolSpy data shows Melbourne’s average unleaded price is 179.8c a litre.
At Portelli’s 119.9c price, a 50-litre tank of 91 unleaded would cost $59.95, compared with $89.90 at the Melbourne average.
That is a saving of $29.95 a tank, or about $1557 a year for a motorist filling up weekly.
Diesel drivers would also save about $1453 a year if they filled up weekly at the Preston site.
Based on diesel prices visible on PetrolSpy around inner Melbourne, where many sites were about 249.9c to 259.9c a litre, the average was about 255.8c a litre.
Portelli lifted 91 unleaded to 119.9c a litre up from 99.9c at launch but it remains about 59.9c below Melbourne’s average unleaded price Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw
Compared with Portelli’s 199.9c diesel price, motorists would save about 55.9c a litre, or about $27.95 on a 50-litre tank.
The savings are smaller for premium unleaded drivers, but the Preston site remains below several visible inner-Melbourne prices.
The LMCT+ 98 unleaded price of 191.9c a litre compares with visible PetrolSpy prices around inner Melbourne averaging about 204.5c a litre.
That would save about $6.30 on a 50-litre tank, or about $328 a year for motorists filling up weekly.
The latest change follows a chaotic week at the Preston site after Portelli slashed fuel to 50c a litre and police attended as crowds built around the members-only servo.
A 50-litre tank of 91 unleaded would cost about $59.95 at Portelli’s servo, compared with $89.90 at Melbourne’s average price. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw
Portelli later urged drivers not to rush the site, saying traffic was building and the operation risked being shut down.
“All right, legends, if you are coming down to the servo, it’s a bit busy at the moment, so highly recommend you don’t come,” he said in an earlier Instagram video.
“Let’s try to get this traffic down. We don’t want to be an inconvenience to the public.”
The latest pricing shifts the offer away from a single headline-grabbing unleaded discount and towards a broader bowser-wide pitch.
Adrian Portelli said he changed the offer after motorists asked for cheaper diesel, declaring “that’s how it should be” in an Instagram video. Picture: Adrian Portelli/LMCT+
It also keeps the site below many nearby fuel prices at a time when household budgets remain under pressure.
The Preston petrol station operates under a members-only model tied to LMCT+, with discounted fuel available to subscribers.
Portelli has previously said the approach was designed to reward supporters while keeping demand manageable at a single site.
He has also flagged more fuel sites are under negotiation, raising the prospect of the model expanding beyond Melbourne.
For motorists, the pitch is simple.
At Portelli’s latest prices, every listed fuel type at the Preston servo has a one in front of it.
And for diesel drivers, the shift below $2 a litre gives them something many have not seen at the bowser in some time.
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