Racial and demographic differences in household travel and fuel purchase behavior
Monthly fuel purchase logs from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey's Household Transportation Panel (TP) were analyzed to determine the relationship between various household characteristics and purchase frequency, tank inventories, vehicle-miles traveled, and fuel expenditures. Multiple classification analysis (MCA) was used to relate observed differences in dependent variables to such index-type household characteristics as income and residence location, and sex, race and age of household head. Because it isolates the net effect of each parameter, after accounting for the effects of all other parameters, MCA is particularly appropriate for this type of analysis. Results reveal clear differences in travel and fuel purchase behavior for four distinct groups of vehicle-owning households. Black households tend to own far fewer vehicles with lower fuel economy, to use them more intensively, to purchase fuel more frequently, and to maintain lower fuel inventories than white households. Similarly, poor households own fewer vehicles with lower fuel economy, but they drive them less intensively, purchase fuel more frequently, and maintain lower fuel inventories than nonpoor households. Elderly households also own fewer vehicles with lower fuel economy. But since they drive them much less intensively, their fuel purchases are much less frequent and their fuel inventories are higher than nonelderly households. Female-headed households also own fewer vehicles but with somewhat higher fuel economy. They drive them less intensively, maintain higher fuel inventories, and purchase fuel less frequently than male-headed households. 13 refs., 8 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 5622641
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-870564-7; ON: DE88003126
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Fuel purchasing patterns and vehicle use trends from the NPD research gasoline diary data base: data display
NC consumer views and market potential of electric vehicles
Related Subjects
298000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320203* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Transportation-- Land & Roadway
DATA
DEMOGRAPHY
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
EXPENDITURES
FUEL CONSUMPTION
FUEL ECONOMY
FUELS
GASOLINE
HOUSEHOLDS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INFORMATION
INVENTORIES
LIQUID FUELS
MINORITY GROUPS
NUMERICAL DATA
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POPULATIONS
PRICES
STATISTICAL DATA
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
VEHICLES