Preference and lifestyle heterogeneity among potential plug-in electric vehicle buyers

A wide range of Canadian consumers want electric vehicles: those that are interested in the environment, technology, saving money, and others. This paper provides insight into the different types of consumers – consumers with different preferences, motivations, lifestyles, and demographics – that are likely to be the next mainstream group of plug-in electric vehicle owners. Findings in this paper have important implications for policy, marketing and outreach. Data for this paper were collected from the 2013 survey of Mainstream conventional vehicle buyers.

Reference: Axsen, J., J. H. Bailey, and M. Castro (2015). Preference and lifestyle heterogeneity among potential plug-in electric vehicle buyers, Energy Economics, 50, 190-201.

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Is awareness of public charging associated with consumer interest in plug-in electric vehicles?

The electric vehicle market is not necessarily limited by lack of public charging infrastructure. We find that the relationship between public charger awareness and plug‐in electric vehicle demand is weak or non‐existent. Familiarity with electric vehicles and access to home charging are better predictors of consumers’ interest in electric vehicles. This paper provides insight into the role that public and home charging, as well as other factors, play in encouraging electric vehicle adoption. Implications from the study suggest that governments should prioritize funding for home charging infrastructure over public charging infrastructure. Data for this study were collected from the 2013 survey of Mainstream conventional vehicle buyers.

Reference: Bailey, H., A. Miele, and J. Axsen (2015). Press Release, Vancouver Sun, Global News and 24 Hours

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The 2013 Canadian Plug-in Electric Vehicle Study: Insights from Mainstream vehicle owners (2013)
The 2013 Canadian Plug-in Electric Vehicle Study summarizes preliminary results from the New Vehicle Owners Survey of “Mainstream” conventional vehicle owners. The study uses an in-depth, multi-mode survey to assess the market for plug-in electric vehicles in Canada. Data for the study were collected from a sample of 1754 Canadian households from April to October 2013.

Reference: Axsen, J., H. J. Bailey, and G. Kamiya (2013). The Canadian Plug-in Electric Vehicle Survey (CPEVS 2013): Anticipating Purchase, Use, and Grid Interactions in British Columbia, Preliminary Report (PDF), October 31, 2013.