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Title:

Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, or Electric - What Do Car Buyers Want?

Accession Number:

01472142

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

This paper assesses a baseline of consumer interest in electric-drive vehicles using a mixed-mode survey. The authors compare stated interest in conventional gasoline (CV), hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and pure electric vehicles (EV) of varying fuel economies, electric-powered driving ranges, and prices. Data are from 508 households representative of new vehicle buying households in San Diego County, California in early 2011. In addition to household descriptions, the survey collected information about access to vehicle recharge infrastructure at home, three days of driving via a mail-based questionnaire, desired vehicle designs via on-line design games, and information on design motivations (also on-line). Across the higher and lower price games, a majority of consumers designed and selected some form of PHEV (56 to 65 percent), with minorities selecting an HEV (20 to 25 percent) or a conventional vehicle (10 to 16 percent). An EV was designed by only two to four percent of survey respondents. Of those who did not design an EV, the most frequent concerns with EVs were limited range and charger availability, and higher vehicle purchase prices. Positive interest in HEVs, PHEVs and EVs was associated with vehicle images of intelligence, responsibility, and support of the environment and nation. The distribution of vehicle designs suggests that cheaper, smaller battery PHEVs may achieve more short-term market success than larger battery PHEVs or EVs. If consumer motivations change with actual experience of electric-drive, managing those changes may be essential to guiding consumer valuation toward greater vehicle electrification.

Supplemental Notes:

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADC80 Alternative Transportation Fuels and Technologies.

Monograph Accession #:

01470560

Report/Paper Numbers:

13-3028

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Axsen, Jonn
Kurani, Kenneth S

Pagination:

16p

Publication Date:

2013

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2013-1-13 to 2013-1-17
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

Digital/other

Features:

Figures; References; Tables

Geographic Terms:

San Diego County (California)

Subject Areas:

Energy; Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment; I15: Environment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2013 Paper #13-3028

Files:

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Created Date:

Feb 5 2013 12:37PM