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For the past six years, Hawaii’s electric vehicle market has grown tremendously — from 6,748 registered passenger EVs in 2018 to 33,563 as of August 2024, according to the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

While it’s been rewarding to see EV adoption increase throughout the state, there’s still a lot of work to do when there are still more than a million passenger vehicles that run on gasoline and diesel.

Of those using non-EV cars, there’s one type of driver who could benefit the most from going electric — gasoline “Superusers.”

These drivers, while representing just 6.8% of our driving population, consume nearly 26% of all gasoline used in Hawaii. This small subset of drivers, roughly 65,000 people across our state, reflect staggeringly high fuel consumption, and the financial burden they bear is even more concerning.

These Superusers often drive over 40,000 miles a year, compared to the average non-Superuser driver who logs just 8,500 miles. Many are rural residents, and a disproportionate number are Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Asian, and Hispanic.

These are folks with jobs that require longer driving and not necessarily by choice — whether they be home health care aides, construction workers, housekeepers, or even ride hail or delivery drivers. They also tend to drive fuel-inefficient vehicles like trucks and SUVs, making their gasoline use — and impact on their wallets — skyrocket.

By transitioning these Superusers to EVs, we can potentially help them save millions of dollars every year while also helping to reduce carbon emissions. Ulupono Initiative partnered with national nonprofit Coltura to analyze Hawaii’s Superusers group and published our findings in a newly released report titled “Power Pivot — Transitioning Hawaii Gasoline Superusers to Electric Vehicles,” available at .

Our report estimated that if we convert the 65,000 Hawaii Superusers to EVs, it could save them $220 million a year in fuel costs and reduce our state’s emissions by 4%. That’s a huge leap toward our goal of cutting emissions by 50% by 2030 and becoming net-negative by 2045. It’s strategic, impactful, and more cost-effective than blanket EV subsidies.

For years, the focus has been on getting early adopters — and those who can afford the upfront costs — to switch to EVs. However, with declining prices and federal tax credits, some EVs are now very cost-competitive and may be within reach for many Hawaii residents.

This report makes one thing clear: The real, broader community impact will come from helping Superusers make the transition. These drivers spend up to $13,700 a year on gasoline, which can account for 14% of their household income. Imagine the financial savings if they can cut their fuel costs by 38% through the adoption of an EV.

In addition, because electricity prices tend to fluctuate less than gasoline prices, drivers will have a more predictable fuel budget by converting to electric.

This is ultimately about making life more affordable for families who are disproportionately burdened by high gasoline costs and creating a more equitable path to clean energy for all residents. We even highlight several Superusers across our islands to share their stories. By focusing our efforts on this small but impactful group, we can make a significant dent in our move toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.

These changes wouldn’t just benefit Superusers; they would benefit all of us. By helping these high-mileage drivers switch to EVs, we can cut emissions faster and at a larger scale than ever before.

Transitioning one Superuser to an EV has the same impact on emissions as transitioning up to five other non-Superuser drivers. That’s the kind of change we need to meet our state’s ambitious climate goals. In addition, as Hawai‘i’s grids utilize more renewable energy, EVs that charge from the grid will increasingly be powered by renewable energy.

Hawaii’s officials and business leaders can help to seize this moment. Our state needs policies and programs that specifically address the needs of our gasoline Superusers.

Targeted incentives — like tax rebates, point-of-purchase discounts, and even direct grants — will make EVs more accessible to this group, particularly those in lower-income households. California has already led the way with legislation to support lower-income, high-mileage drivers in transitioning to EVs.

Additional programmatic support and outreach to these Superusers can help them make the switch. High concentrations of Superusers will help improve the siting of public charging. Hawaii can lead in all of these.

By helping our Superusers convert, we can catalyze an impactful shift. It’s not just a sound strategy for our state. By empowering our most frequent drivers to go electric, we’re driving Hawaii towards a more affordable future for these individuals and a more sustainable one for all.