How gasoline ‘superusers’ can help clean up California’s air

A big way to get more electric vehicles on the road involves convincing gasoline “superusers” to switch to EVs, a new report released Thursday found.

The study by Coltura, a nonprofit organization that promotes an end to gasoline consumption, took a close look at the people whose vehicles use huge amounts of gasoline.

Thursday’s study found that 10% of California drivers consume 28% of the gasoline used in the state. These are the superusers, each of whom burns an estimated 1,260 gallons a year, compared to others’ 354 gallons.

Coltura said that at every income level, those superusers spend a bigger proportion of their income on fuel and maintenance than those who need less gasoline.

And, the report said, “at below median income levels, the difference is the greatest.”

It found 56% of superuser households earn below the state’s median income level of about $100,000. Those families spend about 15% of that income on gasoline alone and a total of 24% on gasoline plus vehicle maintenance and repairs.

The superusers are also more susceptible to gasoline price spikes such as those that stung drivers last year. California’s gasoline prices have been falling–they averaged $4.82 a gallon Monday, according to AAA, but they were $5.91 a year ago. They peaked at $6.44 last June.

Superusers tend to drive more. The average EV driver goes about 10,200 miles a year, while the superuser averages 24,000 miles annually.

Link between gasoline consumption and income

The superusers tend to live in more rural and less wealthy areas, where driving longer distances is common and people are less likely to afford electric vehicles.

A Bee analysis matched zero-emission vehicle registrations from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and census data showing income by zip code.

In the state’s poorest zip codes, where median household incomes were less than $50,000, there were about six electric vehicles for every 1,000 residents. In the state’s wealthiest zip codes, where median household incomes topped $200,000, there were about 94 electric vehicles per 1,000 residents.