The number of Americans taking road trips this Christmas is poised for a slump of as much as 25%, with most staying home amid soaring coronavirus cases, according to GasBuddy analyst Patrick DeHaan. The estimate, on the heels of a GasBuddy survey showing that roughly two in three Americans plan to stay put for the holiday, provides more evidence of gasoline demand declining sharply during the latest wave of the pandemic. Consumption that’s near the lowest level since June will likely reach a new trough around New Year’s Day, DeHaan, the fuel market research firm’s head of petroleum analysis, said Tuesday. Stricter measures to contain the pandemic in several parts of the country are a reminder that a return to normalcy will still take months, even as inoculations against the virus have started this week. Need for gasoline falling before holidays Of those getting out of the house during […]