DRIVING PROGRESS, FUELING SAVINGS

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds that California's cleaner fuels and vehicle policies—including cap and trade, the low carbon fuel standard, and vehicle standards—will reduce ownership costs for drivers. Weekly savings for new vehicle owners are projected to increase from $3.90 for a 2015 model to $8.98 for a 2025 model compared to a 2008 baseline. A 10-year-old used car purchased in 2025 is estimated to save its driver $7.46 per week compared to a similar used car purchased in 2015.

• California drivers purchasing new vehicles will see increasing weekly ownership savings over time compared to a 2008 baseline: $3.90 per week for a 2015 model, $5.22 per week for a 2020 model, and $8.98 per week for a 2025 model.
• Drivers of 10-year-old used cars purchased in 2025 are projected to save $7.46 per week, or $388 annually, over the remaining life of the vehicle when compared to a 10-year-old used car purchased in 2015.
• The estimated savings are derived from a combination of California's cap and trade program, the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), and vehicle standards, including the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) and low emission vehicle (LEV III) programs.
• Net savings were calculated by subtracting the costs of fuel economy technology, cap and trade, and LCFS from the fuel cost savings gained through more efficient vehicles.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (n.d.). DRIVING PROGRESS, FUELING SAVINGS. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change%2520Appendix.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. DRIVING PROGRESS, FUELING SAVINGS. n.d. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change%2520Appendix.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=DRIVING PROGRESS, FUELING SAVINGS |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change%2520Appendix.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientistsnddriving, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{DRIVING PROGRESS, FUELING SAVINGS}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2014/09/Driving%2520Progress%2520Fueling%2520Change%2520Appendix.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }