Californians Would Save $34 Million This Thanksgiving If We All Drove Clean Rides
Image via "Gobbling Less Gas for Thanksgiving: How Clean Car Standards Will Cut Oil Use and Save Americans Money"
If you are the proud owner of a fuel efficient vehicle, you definitely have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Considered one of the busiest travel days of the year, Thanksgiving lures people from their homes with the promises of family, friends, football and overeating. Environment California released “Gobbling Less Gas for Thanksgiving: How Clean Car Standards Will Cut Oil Use and Save Americans Money” today, a report that says Californians would save roughly $34 million at the gas pump this Thanksgiving alone plus significantly slash oil use if travelers took to the streets with fuel efficient vehicles.
A release by Environment California notes that roughly 2 million families will brave the roads this Thanksgiving and are expected to spend about $74 million in fuel costs.
The new report comes on the heels of two significant green vehicle initiatives. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced plans last week to update the Golden State's Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) program. Aiming to increase California sales of battery, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, the plan could foster nearly 1.4 million clean cars sold between 2018 and 2025. On November 16, the Obama administration proposed updated fuel efficiency and global warming pollution standards for cars and light trucks sold from 2017 through 2025. New cars and trucks will be required to meet the equivalent of a 54.5 mpg standard by 2025. The current standard is 26.4 miles per gallon.
In an ideal 54.5 mpg world, the report estimates that 8.9 million fewer gallons of oil would be consumed, families would each save $17 and 87,000 fewer metric tons of global warming pollution would be emitted - all in the name of Californians this Thanksgiving.
Sean Carroll, federal field associate for Environment California, breaks down these numbers from a dessert perspective. “Cleaner and more fuel efficient cars would cut pollution and save California drivers enough cash to bring 4 extra pumpkin pies to dinner," he said in the release.
While many of us cannot afford to update our rides, the numbers should give vehicle consumers something to think about when choosing a new set of wheels. Culver City resident Al Quattrocchi purchased a Nissan Leaf about two months ago and saves "roughly $200 a month on gas."
The report used regional Thanksgiving travel projections released by AAA last week to predict how many Californians would be traveling more than 50 miles by car this Thanksgiving. You can download the full report here: CAE_gobblereport_final.pdf
