Addressing Resistance to the Adoption of Electric Vehicles: A Potential Role for E-car Clubs

Predictions for the sales of electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide have proved to be optimistic. The wide range of projections raises questions about our understanding of the market for EVs. Markets are rarely if ever homogeneous in the composition of their customer base. Understanding the perceived barriers to EVs and priorities of the consumers making up the overall market is a first step to informing an enhanced understanding of the likely development of the market and increased reliability and robustness of the forecasts of future trends. This paper focuses on planned infrastructure and how it might encourage greater market uptake. It draws on practical experience gained by Evalu8, a not for profit company set up by the University of Hertfordshire which specialises in EVs and alternative fuel technology, and is delivering the UK government’s ‘Plugged in Places’ scheme (PIP) in the East of England. The paper also addresses the issue of purchase price premiums currently demanded for EVs compared to conventional vehicles. It reports on how a large organisation, a UK based University, is seeking to remove this barriers to EV adoption by hosting an e-car club. The e-car club provides a unique opportunity to undertake bespoke research on EV market uptake. Specifically, variations in the predisposition towards EVs among car club members and non members. The significance of factors other than purchase costs for EV take up and what incentives might boost the market including alternative ways of purchasing access to EVs. Preliminary findings suggest the university e-car club demographic profile is composed of a much wider socio-economic range than the traditional early adopter market segment and therefore suggests other potential market segments can become aware of the potential benefits of EVs.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Smyth, Austin
  • Kelleher, Luke
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2016-1-10 to 2016-1-14
• Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Electric vehicles; Forecasting; Infrastructure; Prices; Sales
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I90: Vehicles;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01589752
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-5807
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 3 2016 12:10PM