Washington State Bill Allocated $450,000 To Study Gasoline Superusers

During the 2022 legislative session, Washington lawmakers approved a $450,000 budget appropriation to study the biggest gasoline users, what policies would most effectively and efficiently get them to switch to EVs, and the resulting economic and climate benefits. 

An aim of the study is to “advance policymakers’ understanding of the dynamics impacting consumer decisions to transition from a fossil fueled vehicle to an electric vehicle”. To achieve this, superuser attitudes, perceptions, barriers, concerns and viewpoints regarding EVs will be studied, along with effective messaging to these drivers. 

The study is based on concepts outlined in “Gasoline Superusers,” a report published by Coltura demonstrating the urgency of transitioning the biggest users of gasoline to EVs to reduce vehicle emissions. The legislature intends for the study to result in the collection of data to determine the following:

• Which high-consumption drivers can switch to EVs for a high percentage of their driving needs.
• How much money high-consumption fuel users can save by switching to EVs.
• How many gallons of fuel are displaced by high-consumption fuel users switching to EVs.
• What policies, including those related to charging infrastructure, would encourage high-consumption fuel users to make the switch to EVs.
• What high-consumption fuel users’ attitudes and perceptions are about EVs.
• What barriers, concerns, and viewpoints are held by high consumption fuel users in relation to EVs.
• What messages are most effective for transitioning high consumption fuel users to EVs.

The final report on the study was issued in June 2023.

The First Gasoline Superuser Report

In 2021, Coltura published a study that provided the first in-depth look at the data available on drivers in the top 10% of gasoline consumption, so-called “gasoline superusers.”

Gasoline Superuser Report 2.0

In 2023, Coltura published a new superuser report. Based on millions of California vehicle records and other data sets, this report highlighted in unprecedented detail the geographic, demographic, financial, and vehicular details of consumer gasoline use down to the zip code level. 

Along with the interactive gasoline consumption map, gasoline data center and EV cost savings calculator released in conjunction, it enables policymakers and businesses to develop more effective gasoline displacement policies and investments.