Gasoline Phaseout News – October 2024

Coltura Research Shows Republicans Would Benefit More from Driving EVs

Coltura has issued a new report showing that areas with higher concentrations of Republican voters have greater potential to save money on vehicle fuel costs than Democratic-majority ones from switching to EVs. Strongly Republican areas could save on average $1,564 annually, whereas strongly Democratic areas would save $1,105. This is because people in strongly Republican areas tend to drive more miles in less efficient vehicles than people in Democratic areas.

Average Annual Potential EV Fuel Savings by Voting Majority 2 1

Coltura Releases 2024 Q3 Update of EV Cost Savings

Coltura’s newly-released 2024 Q3 update to our EV Cost Savings Index reveals that, despite the usual decline in summer gas prices, electric vehicles continue to offer significant savings on fuel.

On average, US EV drivers saved 7.4 cents per mile compared to those driving gas-powered vehicles, which translates to about $90 for 1,200 monthly miles (around the US average), or nearly $1,100 a year. These figures underscore the ongoing financial advantages of electric vehicles, even amid fluctuating fuel prices.

Data Insight of the Month: What Cars are Superusers Driving?

This month’s feature is an insight from Coltura’s recent collaboration with Boston University’s Visualizing Energy, focusing on Gasoline Superusers — the top 10% of US light-duty vehicle drivers in terms of gasoline consumption. Superusers tend to drive inefficient vehicles such as pickups like the Ford F150 and Chevrolet Silverado, as well as large SUVs like the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

By understanding which vehicles are driven by Superusers, policymakers can better tailor programs and incentives to encourage cleaner alternatives for the drivers who consume the most fuel.

What the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms Say About EVs

Elections are around the corner. What will they mean for electric vehicles?

Here’s what each party’s platform states:

Democratic Party

“With tax credits, Democrats helped quadruple sales of electric vehicles, with the goal that 50 percent of all new passenger cars sold in the U.S. by 2030 be electric. We’re protecting American children from asthma-related diesel pollution by giving school districts rebates to buy thousands of electric school buses so kids don’t have to breathe polluted air. We’ll keep working to electrify the nation’s fleet of school buses, transit buses, and federal vehicles, including the U.S. Postal Service fleet.”

Republican Party

“Republicans will revive the U.S. Auto Industry by reversing harmful Regulations, canceling Biden’s Electric Vehicle and other Mandates, and preventing the importation of Chinese vehicles”

(Fact check: there is no Biden Administration “EV mandate” to sell or purchase EVs – fleet-wide fuel efficiency standards have been raised, and drivers are incentivized to get an EV with up to $7,500 in federal tax credits, but not mandated).

Double Your Donation! Coltura Launches Matching Challenge

Coltura’s annual year-end fundraising campaign is here! Coltura is the first and only organization focused on data-driven approaches to cutting gasoline use at speed and scale. Our work has inspired utility and state-level policies to focus on helping the biggest gasoline users (“Gasoline Superusers”) switch to EVs. We’ve socialized the Superuser approach in prominent publications including the New York Times, USA Today, Forbes and Fast Company.

We need your help to continue this work. For a limited time, your donation to Coltura will be DOUBLED, thanks to a generous match from our supporters.

Donate Now to DOUBLE Your Impact

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Coltura Makes Case for Gasoline Superuser Approach in Rural Vermont

Coltura policy director Rob Sargent was joined by Ingrid Malmgren of Plug in America, Ari Lattanzi from Vermont Department Transportation, and Johanna Miller from the Vermont Natural Resources Council at the REV2024 conference to discuss ways to help gasoline-burdened households in rural Vermont make the switch to EVs.

Coltura’s recent report showed that Vermont ranks third in the nation for the share of rural Superusers. Rob made the case that a data-driven approach that targets drivers who use more gasoline will help Vernont officials and the state’s utilities steer EV deployment to where they can provide the greatest economic and environmental benefits.

Rob Sargent at REVermont Conference session on transportation electrification in Vermont

Gas Station of the Month: Sinclair in Ventura, CA

The Sinclair gas station in Ventura, CA leaked more than 2,000 gallons of gasoline into the city’s sewer system, prompting an evacuation of a section of the city. Residents experienced dizziness and nausea as the fumes infiltrated their homes.The city has declared a state of emergency, noting that the levels of gasoline detected in the sewer system amounts to “a bomb under our city streets.”

The city has already spent $1.5 million on cleanup and expects to spend $760,000 more in the next six months.

Gas Station of the Month Sinclair in Ventura CA

Culture Corner: Bigger Share of EV Skeptics Buy Into Myth That EVs are Worse for the Planet

The data is clear: EVs are better for the planet than gas-powered cars. But misinformation seems to be winning, at least among EV skeptics. Recent research has found that over the last two years, the share of car-buyers in the US who understand that EVs are better for the environment has gone down by 5 percentage points in the last two years, from 63% to 58%.

Because the drop is largely attributed to drivers who were not considering getting an EV, it’s unlikely this shift will make a significant near-term difference in US EV adoption rates. In any case, focusing on cost and convenience rather than environmental benefits may be the key to winning over more drivers to EVs.