Kyle Rizdahl

Those imports come from Asia, places that rely heavily on crude from the Strait of Hormuz.

And so the distance is greater, so the logistical cost is also more expensive, right?

You know, Texas, you know, the gasoline at this station probably came from 15 to 20 miles east of here at a refinery.

But not all Californians are paying more to fuel their vehicles.

I asked Matthew Zaragoza-Watkins, an economist with UC Davis, to record his most recent visit to the charging station.

Today, I'm filling up for free, actually.

He's an EV driver, and he bought the car with a deal for free charging for life.

Even so, if he had paid 34 cents a kilowatt hour to charge, it would have cost him... Equivalent to about $2.25 a gallon.

much cheaper than gasoline.

California is a leader in EV adoption, but the state's regulatory policies and decarbonization goals and other constraints have contributed to refinery shutdowns and higher fuel costs.

Zaragoza-Watkins and I talk more about these trade-offs on a video call.

It's not a great time.

And I don't think it'll be a better time in the future.

He says in the next 10 to 15 years, after many more Californians switch over to EVs... A smaller market is going to be one that's sort of more sensitive to price spikes and potentially more volatile.

Research would suggest that most likely those are going to be the people who are least able to afford the transition.

While pain at the pump could get worse in California and Texas, abundant crude oil, fossil fuel-friendly policies, and the strength of the state's refining industry are keeping prices more affordable.

In Houston, I'm Elizabeth Troval for Marketplace.

Dedication.

Am I right?

First, though, let's do the numbers.