A new study showed the top 10% of drivers by gas consumption, otherwise known as “superusers,” use 35% of the gas supply.
It found the cost of gas eats up a lot of household income: about 13% and 16% for Hispanic and Black superusers, respectively. Groups fighting climate change hope the data will convince more people to switch to electric vehicles and spur policies to make them more affordable.
Janelle London, co-executive director of the environmental advocacy group Coltura, which coproduced the study, said the transition to electric vehicles will make a difference.
“Black and Latino superusers could save a lot of money by switching to EVs,” London pointed out. “On average, $3,800 on fuel alone per year and $4,900 if you add in the maintenance savings, which are substantial.”
Southern California is a hotspot for superusers of color, who often drive hundreds of miles a week in older, less fuel-efficient cars and trucks. Many are rural drivers, workers in the rideshare sector, or people who have long commutes.
The U.S. Senate is poised to vote on a budget bill to cut subsidies for electric vehicles, which London argued would be counterproductive.
“We need enhanced EV purchase incentives in areas with high concentrations of Black and Latino superusers, like grants, low-interest loans, cash rebates for EV purchases, and subsidized leasing options,” London outlined. “Second, we really need to expand public EV charging in superuser communities and subsidize home charging for superuser households.”
The Senate also recently passed a bill which would kill California’s strict vehicle emissions standards, including a state mandate for all new cars sold to be EVs by 2035.
