the electric vehicle attitude-behavior gap: targeting the early majority sanya carley associate...

The Electric Vehicle Attitude-Behavior Gap: Targeting the Early Majority

Sanya CarleyAssociate Professor

School of Public and Environmental AffairsIndiana University

Electric Vehicles Today

Nissan LEAFPlug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV)

73 mile all-electric range99 mpg-equivalent

Chevy VoltPlug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)

35 mile all-electric range93 mpg-equivalent (all-electric driving)

37 mpg (gas-electric driving)

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U.S. Regulatory Push

• 2008 Obama Campaign Pledge: 1 million plug-in vehicles by 2015

• New Carbon and Mileage Requirements on Automakers (54 miles-per-gallon by 2025) through CAFE

• Manufacturers may count each plug-in vehicle as two vehicles in compliance averaging under CAFE

• California’s Zero Emissions Vehicle Requirement

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Incentives• Up to $7,500 credit for purchase of PEV or PHEV,

depending on the size of the battery– All PEVs qualify for $7,500, but wide variability with

PHEVs• Up to $2,000 credit for recharging stations (expired

2011)• State tax incentives• DOT authorizes HOV lane access for electric vehicles• No highway fuel tax for electric vehicles

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President Obama’s 1 million Electric Vehicle Goal


Conventional Hybrid v. Electric Vehicle Sales

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Targeting the Early Majority

Source: www.free-power-point-templates.com

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http://www.free-power-point-templates.com/articles/new-product-diffusion-curve-slide-for-powerpoint/


Attitude-Behavior Gap

8 major factors of the attitude-behavior gap in electric vehicle adoption intention. These factors were identified through literature review of the attitude-behavior gap, particularly with respect to pro-environmental behavior and vehicle adoption behavior.

Habit Self-efficacy Emotions Knowledge

Attitude Intention Behavior

Experience Institutional Factors

Competing Priorities

Normative Influences


Survey Administration

• Random sample of individuals from the 32 largest U.S. metro area• 18 years+, driver’s license, and intent to

purchase/lease in next 2 years• 15-minute online survey administered by

Qualtrics in fall, 2013• Survey instrument designed to extract

perceptions of and attitudes toward electric vehicles, as well as vehicle preferences, driving behavior, and other characteristics

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Targeting the Early Majority• Question 1: Considering what you know about cars and the information

provided on the labels above, will your next vehicle purchase or lease be a conventional gasoline, conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or plug-in electric vehicle?

• Question 2: Overall, what are your impressions of the following types of vehicles at this time? – Likert scale: Highly favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, highly

unfavorable

• Those that are favorable but NOT interested in buying an electric vehicle compose our population of interest• Comparison group: those favorable and intend to buy one

• n=580 for the PHEV and n=473 for the PEV

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Methodological Approach

Pr[y>0|X]=Φ(Xβ1,ε1)

y: binary, equal to ‘1’ when respondent is favorable toward a PEV or PHEV, respectively, but does not choose a PEV or a PHEV for intent to purchaseX: vector of attitude-behavior gap parameter estimates as well as controlsε: normally distributed error term

• Combine variables into important constructs • First calculate Cronbachs alpha coefficients on all related variables

to confirm appropriateness of combining• Perform factor analysis to identify constructs


Factor Constructs

• Major concerns with EVs• Major benefits of EVs• Minor concerns or benefits

• Economy car buyer• Car lover• Family attributes• Rugged attributes

• Policy incentives

Advantages and drawbacks to PEVS

Vehicle attributes

Policy mechanisms


Important ABG VariablesABG Factor Related variables

Habit Owns alternative fuel vehicle

Self-efficacy Impact on environment

Emotions Sound benefits, Torque benefits

Experience Word of mouth

Institutional factors Next car replacement, Has garage, Car reliance, Aware of local L2 charging, Range concerns, Charging availability concerns, Resale concerns, Safety concerns,

Competing prioritiesEconomy car buyer, Car lover buyer, Family attributes car buyer, Rugged car buyer, Supportive EV Policies, Maintenance cost benefits, Fuel savings benefits, Recharge time concerns, Outdated tech concerns, Battery failure concerns

Normative influences Environmental image benefits, Impact on environment, Peer concerns


PHEV ResultsHabit Self-efficacy Emotions Knowledge
















Interest in PHEVs is strongly motivated by:• Respondents’ high gas expenditure• Availability of policy incentives







• Particular interest in the environmental impacts• Concern about changes in noise profile of vehicles


PEV ResultsHabit Self-efficacy Emotions Knowledge
















• Would not replace an existing car, suggesting issues of compatibility with current lifestyle

• Interest eroded by heavy reliance on vehicle







• Interested in new vehicle technology but concerned technology will become outdated

• Interest in the environmental impacts

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Research Implications• PEV and PHEV appeal to potential consumers differently,

requiring different marketing approaches• Potential market for PHEVs is larger than PEVs• PHEV consumer: more typical profile to average vehicle consumer• PEV consumer: similar to early adopter community– more focused

on technology, and strongly mindful of the benefits and barriers to PEVs

• PHEV marketing: • Convince consumers that they will save $$ on gas expenditures• Steer them toward government incentives

• PEV marketing: • Make it easier for consumers to understand how to incorporate PEVs

into their lifestyles• Highlight the battery technology, and its reliability

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QUESTIONS?

the electric vehicle attitude-behavior gap: targeting the early majority sanya carley associate...

Documents

electric vehicle pev73

vehicle purchase

vehicle manufacturers

vehicle adoption behavior

vehicle preferences

emissions vehicle requirement

conventional hybrid

proenvironmental behavior