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Nam, Richard Hyun

Community Development and Applied Economics

2012

M.S.

This study examines the relationship between motorized vehicle allocation and household fuel consumption. Data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey is examined. Analysis is completed using statistical weights to represent the United States. Households are categorized based on their vehicle-to-primary driver assignments. Two categories are used to describe the household. In either case, the method of categorization is dependent on the miles traveled by the driver, relative to other household drivers, and the fuel efficiency of their vehicle, relative to the fuel efficiency of other fleet vehicles. Three models are used to measure the relationship between the vehicle-to-driver allocation scheme and descriptive household variables. Through these models this study explores the intra-household motorized vehicle allocation, the potential reduction in household fuel consumption, and households that have a high degree of potential reductions in fuel consumption.
Nationally, 59% of households allocate their vehicles in a way that allows for a potential reduction in fuel consumption from a vehicle-to-driver re-allocation. These households can collectively reduce system wide fuel consumption by fIve billion gallons or by 5%. Household size, travel behavior, vehicle fleet characteristics, and the built environment had significant effects on the models. These results may help policy makers in decisions pertaining to the reduction in motorized passenger vehicle fuel consumption, which may mitigate the increasing cost and environment impact of fossil fuel use.