Gasoline Phaseout News – March 2024
In Historic First, Gasoline Superusers Win New EV Incentives in Vermont
Burlington Electric Department, Vermont’s biggest municipal utility, announced it is now offering incentives for low and median income Gasoline Superusers to switch to EVs. The program provides up to $500 in rebates for qualified Superusers in addition to the utility’s existing EV incentives, which now are up to $3,000. This discount, on top of the state’s up to $10,000 discount and up to a $7,500 federal discount, means a Vermont Superuser could get a discount of up to a whopping $21,000 on an EV.
These Superusers will also save on average $3,288 a year in fuel (gasoline savings minus electricity expenditures), making the switch to EVs for Superusers even more compelling in Vermont.
The policy marks the nation’s first-ever incentive program targeting Superusers– a huge milestone. See the full press release on the new program and Coltura’s quote in Burlington Mayor Weinberger’s press release.
Coltura Celebrates New EPA Vehicle Standards, Urges Additional Action to Increase EV Adoption
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the strongest-ever pollution standards for light-duty vehicles last week, which the agency says the auto industry could achieve if 56% of new vehicle sales are electric by 2032, along with at least 13% plug-in hybrids or other partially electric cars. The rule is projected to cut 7.2 billion tons of CO2 emissions through 2055, roughly equal to four times the emissions of the entire transportation sector in 2021.
But Coltura analysis shows additional policy interventions are needed to get the biggest gasoline users into EVs for the US to cut emissions in half by the end of the decade to hit its climate goals.
See Coltura’s full statement in reaction to the new standards on our LinkedIn page.
Supporters Join Coltura, RMI, and Greenlining Institute to Discuss Policies Aimed at Helping Superusers
More than 200 people registered for Coltura’s “Cutting Vehicle Emissions Faster & More Equitably” event with RMI and The Greenlining Institute. Our expert panel talked about the ways governments can help get Gasoline Superusers into EVs— helping us cut emissions much faster and saving families thousands of dollars a year.
Interested in continuing your advocacy with us or weren’t able to make the event? Here are some resources from the webinar:
- A recording of the webinar
- Our new report on Gasoline Superusers
- Our new data insights webpage, including:
- a gasoline consumption map which shows the concentration of Superusers across the country, as well as information about their demographics, financials, vehicles and electricity usage if they switched to EVs,
- gasoline data insights showing granular gasoline consumption details,
- an EV cost savings calculator for drivers to see how much they can save on total monthly costs by switching to an EV, and
- An EV adoption forecasting tool to calculate the number of EVs needed to achieve desired emissions reductions by a certain year.
Vive La France: Demand Surges for French Government’s EV Leasing Program
Wine, baguettes, croissants, fries, and now EV subsidies. France does a lot of things right. Now it is testing out new subsidies designed to get long-distance drivers into EVs. President Macron’s administration launched the program to make electric vehicles affordable to low-income households and reduce carbon emissions. Income qualified drivers could rent an EV for just 100 Euros a month if they needed a car to travel to a job more than 15 km away from home.
The program was so popular that the administration doubled the initial plan for 25,000 leases to accommodate 50,000. As demand continued to surge, the government suspended the program to regroup. It plans to re-launch in 2025.
Coltura applauds this effort, and offers this suggestion: increase the minimum commute distance requirement from the current 15 km to 150 km or more. This will ensure the EVs are displacing even more petroleum, and better enable the program to support the likely demand. Bon chance, France!
Support Our Work: EV Policies to Preserve Our Planet for Future Generations
The policies we put in place today will determine the environmental legacy we leave for future generations. Cutting vehicle emissions is crucial to improving air quality and addressing the climate crisis. That’s why we’re grateful for your partnership in our work to advance better, more effective EV policies.
Your support is appreciated and crucial as we continue our work to advance policies that preserve our planet for our kids and grandkids. Every dollar counts in the fight for a healthy future.
Gas Station of the Month: Short Stop in Duluth, MN
In yet another alarming incident involving gasoline, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency responded this month to a 1,400-gallon leak at a Short Stop gas station in Duluth. The gasoline seeped into nearby soils and the full extent of the damage remains unknown. The incident once again emphasizes the threat the fuel poses to our health, water and ecosystems.
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Culture Corner: RVs Are Becoming EVs
RVs are thought of as consummate gas hogs— getting single digit miles per gallon while rolling down American byways. As RV manufacturers go electric, the gas guzzling RV days are quickly changing.
The Grounded G2 Campervan, pictured below, and outfitted with rooftop solar panels, travels 250 miles on a charge. Other RV manufacturers, including Winnebago, plan to introduce their own electric EV models in the next few years.