Gasoline Phaseout News – Fall 2026
Rep. Landsman Introduces Federal Superuser Bill
Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) has introduced the 21st Century Vehicle Choice Act (H.R. 10881), which would launch the first federal study of gasoline superusers—people in the top 10% in terms of gasoline consumption.
The bill would require the Department of Energy, with the Department of Transportation, to estimate each vehicle’s annual fuel use from mileage and EPA ratings, then report within two years on where superusers are concentrated and the 100 routes they drive most. Annual reports on charger availability and usage in those regions would follow for five years.
The target is well chosen. Coltura’s research finds about 21 million superusers burn 35% of the gasoline used by private light-duty vehicles and spend over $500 a month on fuel.
The bill would also make federal EV credits permanent, raise the new vehicle credit to as much as $15,000 (once per taxpayer, with lower income caps), double the used EV credit to $8,000, and raise the charging credit to 50%.
With Republicans controlling Congress, near-term passage is unlikely. However, the bill puts down a marker for how to address the huge cost of fueling for people who drive the most and use the most gasoline. Electrek called the superuser study the best idea in the bill.
Census Bureau Data Finds 5.5% of U.S. Households Own an EV
About 7.3 million U.S. households, or 5.5% of the nation’s 134 million, had at least one electric vehicle in 2025, according to U.S. census data released this week. The 2025 American Community Survey asked about EV ownership for the first time, covering all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
Homeowners (6.4%) were nearly twice as likely as renters (3.6%) to have an EV. California led the states at 13.8%, followed by Washington (8.9%), Hawaii (8.5%), Nevada (8.2%) and Vermont (7.7%). North Dakota had the lowest share at 1.3%, with Wyoming, Louisiana, South Dakota and Mississippi also under 2%.
The top five counties were all in California, led by Santa Clara at 24.1%. Outside California, Boulder County, Colorado, and Loudoun County, Virginia (each 13.9%), and King County, Washington (13.4%) ranked highest.
These numbers should continue to climb, as new EVs enter the U.S. vehicle fleet. U.S. new EV sales in Q3 2026 had their best quarter since Q3 2025, with 262,649 vehicles sold, or about 6.4% of all new vehicle purchases. The new Rivian R, is an early hit, and helped Rivian attain 19,248 vehicles sold in the 3rd quarter.
Coltura Goes to Roadmap Conference to Talk to Data Customers
Coltura’s Policy Director Rob Sargent and data whiz Paul Rösler went to the Roadmap Conference in September to talk with Coltura’s existing and future data customers about Coltura’s industry-leading gasoline data and software.
Data Insight: EV Drivers Save an Average of $200 per Month as People Vote in 2026 Midterm Elections
Coltura’s EV Cost Savings Index shows that at today’s gas prices, across the US, EV drivers save an average of $200 a month at this week’s national average gas price of $4.20 a gallon. The affordability of transportation is a key issue in this month’s midterms. See the savings for your state and vehicle type at https://coltura.org/electric-car-savings-calculator/.
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Culture Corner: “Who Killed the Electric Car” Ignited EV Interest
Who Killed the Electric Car?, a documentary film written and directed by Chris Paine, ignited EV interest when it was released 20 years ago. The film told the story of GM’s EV 1, and how the automaker crushed its pioneering and high-quality electric vehicles rather than allow its devoted lessees to continue driving them. The film sparked widespread interest in EVs, and helped inspire the founding of Plug In America, a leading advocate of EVs to this day.
