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The Welfare Effects of Fuel Conservation Policies in a Dual-Fuel Car Market: Evidence from India

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  • Randy Chugh
  • Maureen L. Cropper

Abstract

We estimate a model of vehicle choice and kilometers driven to analyze the long-run impacts of fuel conservation policies in the Indian car market. We simulate the effects of petrol and diesel fuel taxes and a diesel car tax, taking into account their interactions with the pre-existing petrol fuel tax and car sales taxes. At levels sufficient to reduce total fuel consumption by 7%, the increased diesel and petrol fuel taxes both yield deadweight losses (net of externalities) of about 4 (2010) Rs./L. However, at levels sufficient to reduce total fuel consumption by 2%, the increased petrol fuel tax results in a deadweight loss per liter of fuel conserved that is greater than that caused by the diesel fuel tax. This reflects both the high pre-existing tax on petrol fuel and the high own-price elasticities of fuel demand in India. A tax on diesel cars that results in the same diesel market share as the large diesel fuel tax actually has a negative deadweight loss per liter of fuel conserved. The welfare effects of all three policy instruments are positive, once the external benefits of reducing fuel consumption are added to the excess burden of taxation.

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  • Randy Chugh & Maureen L. Cropper, 2014. "The Welfare Effects of Fuel Conservation Policies in a Dual-Fuel Car Market: Evidence from India," NBER Working Papers 20460, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20460
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    Cited by:

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    6. Sheldon, Tamara L. & Dua, Rubal & Alharbi, Omar Abdullah, 2023. "Electric vehicle subsidies: Time to accelerate or pump the brakes?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
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    8. van den Bijgaart, Inge, 2016. "Essays in environmental economics and policy," Other publications TiSEM 298bee2a-cb08-4173-9fe1-8, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
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    10. Jack, B. Kelsey, 2017. "Environmental economics in developing countries: An introduction to the special issue," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-7.
    11. Josse Delfgaauw & Otto Swank, 2023. "The Gasoline Climate Trap," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 23-025/VII, Tinbergen Institute.

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    JEL classification:

    • L9 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy

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