Motivating a High MPG Purchase

How much in fuel savings would be needed to prompt the purchase of a more fuel efficient vehicle? It's a good question, and one that Opinion Research Corporation recently addressed with a nationwide survey that asked people about their next new vehicle purchase.

In the survey, respondents were asked how much money in fuel savings would be necessary for them to pay $1,200 extra to buy an identical vehicle with greater fuel efficiency. Eighteen percent of respondents said that they would need $500-$749 per year fuel savings to prompt them to buy the more expensive fuel efficient vehicle, while 19% said they would need $1,000-1,499 per year fuel savings. The nationwide random phone survey was conducted on behalf of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.