Google Search Explains Your Gasoline Consumption!

26 Pages Posted: 16 Dec 2019 Last revised: 7 May 2021

See all articles by Mohamad Afkhami

Mohamad Afkhami

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business

Hamed Ghoddusi

California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo; Economic Research Forum

Nima Rafizadeh

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Date Written: November 29, 2019

Abstract

We show that including Google Search Volume Index (GSVI) for bus and train, as proxies for the willingness of the consumers to use public transportation services, improves the explanatory power of the estimated demand for the United States retail gasoline. We find that gasoline consumption is negatively related to the search for public transportation services. Our results demonstrate a showcase for utilizing real-time data to improve quantitative energy policy analysis.

Keywords: Google Trend, Gasoline Consumption, Public Transportation, Time Series Analysis

JEL Classification: C22, Q41, Q47, R41

Suggested Citation

Afkhami, Mohamad and Ghoddusi, Hamed and Rafizadeh, Nima, Google Search Explains Your Gasoline Consumption! (November 29, 2019). Energy Economics, Vol. 99, 2021, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3495705 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3495705

Mohamad Afkhami

Stevens Institute of Technology - School of Business ( email )

Hoboken, NJ 07030
United States

Hamed Ghoddusi (Contact Author)

California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo ( email )

San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
United States

Economic Research Forum ( email )

Cairo
Egypt

Nima Rafizadeh

University of Massachusetts Amherst ( email )

Department of Resource Economics
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.nimarafizadeh.com

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