Gas price crisis shows California has to help people switch to hybrid and electric cars

No one should have to choose between fuel and food, but across the nation, the soaring price of gasoline is forcing consumers to make these kinds of decisions as their weekly budgets get pushed to the limit. Nowhere is this crisis more acute than in California, where the average price of gas is hovering close to $6 per gallon.

Part of the price spike has been driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ban on fossil fuel imports from Russia. But that’s not the full story. The price per barrel of oil has fallen in recent weeks, which should result in a drop in gas prices. Yet consumers are still being charged near-record prices at the pump. In California, this crisis has been compounded by a gas surcharge at the pump that costs some 30 cents per gallon, or approximately $4 billion per year.

These prices hurt low-income Californians the most because they spend a much higher proportion of their income on fuel, and they may be driving older vehicles with subpar mileage. Plus, the lack of public transit and affordable housing near job centers leaves many people dependent on cars to get to work every day.

As Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature search for solutions, they should focus on ways to make it easier for all Californians to make the transition to low-emission and zero-emission vehicles that cost less money to fuel and less money to operate.

A study by Consumer Reports shows that based on today’s average gas and electricity prices in California, owners could save $2,100 a year on fuel and maintenance with an electric car, $2,600 with an electric SUV, and $3,200 with an electric pickup. That’s about $200 per month in savings for the average Californian.

If we want to unlock these savings, we must prioritize investments in programs like Clean Cars 4 All, which provide significant incentives for the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles for drivers in low-income and disadvantaged communities. And we can’t stop there. We have to make good on promises to build and maintain charging stations in communities that have long been denied opportunities to participate in the clean transportation economy.

State officials are now considering the next wave of vehicle standards that will put us on the path to 100% electric cars and trucks. The immense benefits could be a game-changer for communities of color that have been disproportionately harmed by transportation pollution for decades.

This latest gas crisis is a stark reminder that we cannot afford to wait any longer to help consumers make the transition to clean vehicles once and for all. If policymakers seize this opportunity to support transformative budget investments in clean transportation technologies, we could have a win-win-win situation for Californians that creates jobs, reduces deadly air pollution and leaves us with more money in our pockets thanks to fewer trips to the pump.

This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM.