Coltura's performance art, "The Gas Trap"
Coltura’s Impact On Reducing Gasoline Use Faster And More Equitably
Reducing Gasoline Use Faster And More Equitably
Since 2015, Coltura has made a significant impact on gasoline policy and culture.
Building and leading diverse coalitions, Coltura has been a driving force in gasoline reduction policies, including:
Gasoline Vehicle Phaseout Policies
- a 2035 gasoline car phaseout regulation in California;
- a Washington law enabling Washington state to join the ZEV Program (requiring automakers to provide an increasing percent of Zero Emission Vehicles or ZEVs reaching 100% by 2035)
- a 2022 Washington law setting a 2030 target for new light duty vehicles to be electric and mandating all-of-government planning to achieve that target;
- a 2022 Massachusetts law mandating a government plan (section 80) to achieve 100% of cars sold being zero emission by 2035;
- a 2023 Michigan executive order calling for the state’s fleet to be fully electric by 2040 (2035 for all light duty vehicles).
- a 2022 Rhode Island bill setting a target for all new light duty vehicles to be electric by 2027
Gasoline Superuser Policies
- In Washington, the Department of Commerce’s transportation electrification plan adopted the Joint Transportation Committee’s recommendation to incorporate the Superusers approach in state EV programs.
- Vermont enacted a bill in 2023 to authorize Burlington Electric Department to adopt the Superuser approach in its EV incentive program.
- In 2024 a bill was introduced to target low income Superusers for EV incentives in California.
- The Maryland Climate Pollution Reduction Plan released in December 2023 includes recommendations to target Superusers in state incentive programs.
- In October 2023, Michigan Governor Whitmer’s plan to fully electrify the state’s fleet called for prioritizing the government vehicles that use the most gasoline.
Coltura’s groundbreaking research, data tools, polls, articles, reports, papers and law review articles have laid the foundation for innovative policies around the country.
From the first ever (award-winning) children’s storybook about the harms of gasoline to a gasoline-breakup music video (also award-winning) to performance art to social media campaigns, Coltura uses multiple approaches to change the culture around gasoline.
Coltura Achievements Timeline
Gasoline Demand Achievements Gasoline Supply Achievements Gasoline Culture Achievements
2024
- Built a coalition of environmental justice and environmental groups to introduce a California bill to provide increased EV incentives to qualifying Superusers.
- Published “Gasoline Superusers 3.0” report along with a national gasoline consumption map and data insights to provide groundbreaking consumer-level data on gasoline consumption in the United States, including geographic, demographic, financial, and vehicular details of consumer gasoline use down to the census block group level.
- Published the EV Adoption Forecaster for policymakers and stakeholders to forecast how to achieve vehicle emissions reductions over a designated period of time by replacing gas cars with electric cars.
2023
- Served as nonprofit sponsor of California bill, AB 1267, providing an added EV incentive for lower income gasoline superusers. The bill passed its first 2 committees with unanimous support.
- Using tens of millions of California DMV records and other datasets, published “Gasoline Superusers 2.0” report along with world’s most granular gasoline consumption map and data insights to provide, for the first time, geographic, demographic, financial and vehicular gasoline consumption data for California at the zip code level.
- Published EV Cost Savings Calculator for Superusers to determine cost savings of switching to an EV.
- Worked allies to pass a Vermont law enabling a utility to incentivize superusers to switch to EVs.
- Worked with allies in Michigan to secure provisions to prioritize vehicles using the most gasoline in Governor Whitmer’s executive order to electrify the state’s fleet by 2040.
- Persuaded Maryland Climate Council to include Superuser recommendations in the Maryland Climate Pollution Reduction Plan.
- Submitted comments to the U.S. Postal Service urging them to prioritize the vehicles using the most fuel in their transition to electric vehicles.
- Submitted comments to IRS and U.S. Treasury in support of making the Federal EV tax credits available as a discount at the time of purchase, and available to all customers regardless of their tax liability.
2022
- Worked with Washington coalition and legislature to pass “Clean Cars 2030” law setting 2030 as the most aggressive target in the nation for all new cars to be electric
- Launched Clean Cars 2030 campaigns in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Rhode Island to build momentum for a 2030 national gas car phaseout;
- Worked with Washington coalition to pass a budget item appropriating $450,000 for a study of Gasoline Superusers and how to expedite their transition to electric vehicles
- Wrote and advanced AB 2816, a California bill revising EV incentives to focus on lower-income drivers using the most gasoline.
- Worked with local partners to pass a Massachusetts law mandating a government plan (section 80) to achieve 100% of cars sold being zero emission by 2035.
- Worked with local partners to get a Rhode Island bill introduced that set a target for all new light duty vehicles to be electric by 2030.
2021
- Published our first “Gasoline Superusers” report, investigating the drivers who use the most gasoline and urging reform of EV incentive policies to focus on those drivers and presented the findings to the National Academy of Sciences
- Published a law review article in the Environmental Law Reporter, “Governing the Gasoline Spigot: Gas station regulation and the transition away from gasoline exploring questions of how aging infrastructure and gas station contamination should be addressed and opening paths for redevelopment of gas stations for other uses; presented a webinar and podcast on the article.
- Commissioned a mural (“Racing to the Electric Car Future”) that was installed at one of Seattle’s busiest intersections.
- Published “Sparky’s Electrifying Tale”, the first ever children’s storybook on the harms of gasoline and benefits of cleaner alternatives. Won Mom’s Choice Award and became a Moms Clean Air Force recommended book.
2020
- Published a law review article (“Federal Preemption and State Vehicle Electrification Mandates”) in the Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law and conference paper for the 33rd Electric Vehicle Symposium about a path for states to overcome federal preemption hurdles to pass vehicle electrification mandates.
- Worked with Washington coalition and legislature to pass SB 5811, enabling Washington state to join the ZEV Program (requiring automakers to ensure that a certain percent of their vehicles sold in the state are zero emissions vehicles), by organizing and leading a diverse coalition of more than 40 supporting organizations, including the electrical workers union (IBEW), environmental organizations, consumer organizations, EV drivers, EV businesses, and health organizations.
- Worked with Washington coalition and legislature to get the Clean Cars 2030 bill (HB 2515) introduced and heard in committee.
2019
- Served as principal drafters and advocates for Washington legislation to phase out sales of new gasoline vehicles for public fleets, resulting in passage of a bill budgeting $450,000 to study such a phaseout starting as early as 2025.
- Successfully advocated for the California Energy Commission to post city-level annual gasoline sales volume data on its website.
- Worked with our California coalition and Assemblyman Phil Ting to pass into law a budget including $1.5 million to study strategies to transition to zero emission vehicles.
- Hosted the first webinar on citizen advocacy for electrifying city fleets.
2018
- Worked with California coalition to help Assembly member Ting pass into law a budget including $1.5 million to study strategies to transition to zero emission vehicles.
- Collaborated with UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment to host a convening of convene for the first time government and industry experts to define the path to 100% zero emission vehicles, and helped with publication of the report on that convening.
- Organized and hosted the first panel event of leaders from around the world to discuss gasoline vehicle phaseout policy in various countries at the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco.
- Wrote the first report (Recharge Required) in Washington on the status of public fleet vehicle electrification and holding the state accountable for failing to comply with the law. ( In 2021, Gov. Inslee issued an order to end the use of gasoline in state-owned vehicles.)
- Created the first music video about breaking up with gasoline, which has been an official selection or award winner at ten film festivals.
- Hosted the first webinar on citizen advocacy for city fleet electrification.
2017
- Published the first op eds in the country (in the San Francisco Chronicle and The Olympian) calling for California and Washington to phase out sales of new gasoline vehicles.
- Formed the first coalition in Washington dedicated to phasing out gasoline vehicles
- In California, helped form and lead an informal coalition of environmental, health and electric vehicle organizations that worked with Assemblyman Phil Ting to introduce AB 1745, a 2040 gasoline vehicle phaseout bill.
- Won Sustainable Seattle Arts and Culture Award for Ghosts of Gasoline performance art
- Commissioned an anti-gasoline mural (My Child, Our Air) in Seattle
2014-2016
- In Washington State, developed and performed some of the first and most publicized anti-gasoline performance art (The Gas Trap, Ghosts of Gasoline, No-Gasoline Concert).
- Presented the case for moving beyond gasoline at numerous public speaking engagements and panel discussions.
- Developed theoretic basis for no Gasoline Movement in series of essays.
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