Contributing factors in plug-in electric vehicle adoption in the United States: A Metro/County Level Investigation

This paper reports statistical regression analysis at the county level, examining correlations of 18 independent variables addressing policies, socio-economic factors, climate, and charging infrastructure with eight dependent variables measuring stock share segments for battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), for calendar year 2014. BEVs and PHEVs were separated into three market segments: 1) mass market (MSRP< $40,000), 2) mid-market ($40,000< MSRP< $60,000), and 3) luxury vehicles (MSRP> $60,000). Including total PHEVs (all segments combined) and total BEVs, eight market segments were examined. 134 counties from 15 states covering 38 metropolitan areas with various PEV market shares were selected. Dependent variables are county-based. While most independent variables were also county-based, some were for selected cities within the county (climate) and some were for the state (incentives, fuel prices, certain infrastructure variables). The authors found varying sets of variables to be significantly correlated with each market segment. However, some variables ─ such as income, extreme temperature, vehicle incentives and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane subsidies ─ are important to almost all market segments. The authors also investigated different U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs such as the EV Project, Workplace Charging Challenge, and PEV Readiness Grants. Results imply that government bodies, utilities and businesses need to adopt different promotion strategies ─ particularly for charging ─ for different market segments. The authors interpret results as supporting the education of consumers about the effect of extreme climate conditions on the electric range of PEVs to assure long-run satisfaction with purchases.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADC80 Standing Committee on Alternative Transportation Fuels and Technologies.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Zhou, Yan
  • Santini, Danilo J
  • Vazquez, Kelly
  • Rood, Marcy
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
• Date: 2017

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate; Counties; Electric vehicle charging; Electric vehicles; Market assessment; Market share; Policy; Regression analysis; Socioeconomic factors
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01626637
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 17-05472
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 27 2017 9:25AM