scholarly journals Is resale anxiety an obstacle to electric vehicle adoption? Results from a survey experiment in Switzerland

Author(s):  
Gracia Brückmann ◽  
Michael Wicki ◽  
Thomas Bernauer

Abstract Electrification of private motorised transport is one of the most effective pathways to net-zero carbon emissions in the road transport sector. However, adoption rates of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are still relatively low in most advanced industrialised countries. One of the most widely discussed but so far understudied potential obstacles to BEV adoption is resale anxiety. It refers to the fear of comparatively low expected resale values of BEVs, resulting, among other reasons, from expectations concerning rapid progress in battery technology. However, based on three survey-embedded experiments in Switzerland (N=3,900 in total), we find the opposite of resale anxiety: a higher expected resale value of BEVs compared to conventional cars. Our findings suggest that regulatory policy and social norm signals in this area are gaining ground, boding well for consumer acceptance of BEVs in the coming years.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3634
Author(s):  
Daniele Lerede ◽  
Chiara Bustreo ◽  
Francesco Gracceva ◽  
Yolanda Lechón ◽  
Laura Savoldi

The European Roadmap towards the production of electricity from nuclear fusion foresees the potential availability of nuclear fusion power plants (NFPPs) in the second half of this century. The possible penetration of that technology, typically addressed by using the global energy system EUROFusion TIMES Model (ETM), will depend, among other aspects, on its costs compared to those of the other available technologies for electricity production, and on the future electricity demand. This paper focuses on the ongoing electrification process of the transport sector, with special attention devoted to road transport. A survey on the present and forthcoming technologies, as foreseen by several manufacturers and other models, and an international vehicle database are taken into account to develop the new road transport module, then implemented and harmonized inside ETM. Following three different storylines, the computed results are presented in terms of the evolution of the road transport demand in the next decades, fleet composition and CO 2 emissions. The ETM results are in line with many other studies. On one hand, they highlight, for the European road transport energy consumption pattern, the need for dramatic changes in the transport market, if the most ambitious environmental goals are to be pursued. On the other hand, the results also show that NFPP adoption on a commercial scale could be justified within the current projection of the investment costs, if the deep penetration of electricity in the road transport sector also occurs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 614-640

The problem of reducing CO2 emissions from transport, a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, has become a growing concern for the scientific community and various international committees monitoring climate change. Energy savings in the transport sector are a key factor towards rational management of oil reserves, while new trends in the automotive market have already been established, supported by research on efficient and environmentally-friendly technologies and alternative fuels to face fossil fuel dependency. The road transport sector is an important part for most developed economies but also a major source of pollutant emissions. In this framework, this paper focuses on transport emissions along the main road axis in Greece, connecting the country’s two largest urban areas, during the years 2008-2014, a period of prolonged recession. Based on traffic data collected at the toll stations along the highway, greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions were calculated using the COPERT4 emission estimation tool. According to the results, a sharp fall in emissions is observed largely due to traffic volume reductions, but also due to a prevailing trend for larger displacement vehicles and technologically improved vehicles with better environmental standards.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-198
Author(s):  
Roland Zink ◽  
Javier Valdes ◽  
Jane Wuth

To meet current targets for greenhouse gas emissions in Europe, emissions, especially those originating from the road transport sector, need to be reduced. Plans are to achieve this goal by substituting fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs). This article first discusses conceptually the impact of an increasing share of EVs on the electricity grid and suitable locations for charging stations with examples from a Case Study in Lower Bavaria. Secondly, the impact of purchase subsidies on EV purchases in Germany, a high-income country characterized by an important automotive industry and an increasing share of private vehicles is examined. To achieve this, yearly information on EV purchases were analyzed by applying the Synthetic Control Method. Combining data from different sources including the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, Eurostat, and the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, an overall picture was developed. Results indicate a difference between private, semi-public, and public charging infrastructures. Its spatial distribution does not correspond to a specific development strategy. Moreover, EV subsidies have a limited effect in Germany when controlling for market size. Limiting the discussion to a trade-off between subsidizing infrastructures or EV purchases obviates the multidimensionality of the problem as neither of them may be sufficient to accelerate the transition per se. Furthermore, if electricity provided for EVs comes mainly from fossil carriers, the changes in the road transport sector will not yield the expected emission reductions. The transition towards renewables is directly intertwined with the effects of EVs on emission reductions in the road transport sector.


Author(s):  
Heike Link ◽  
John Polak

Transport pricing has been an actively debated topic in the European Union for a number of years. This debate has been stimulated both by the European Commission policy and by a multitude of national policy initiatives. A central theme in this debate is the issue of the public and (linked to this) political acceptability of pricing measures. Indeed, concerns about acceptability now constitute the most significant single barrier to implementation, especially in the road transport sector. The results of recent research undertaken on behalf of the European Commission into the acceptability of different transport pricing measures to professionals and citizens and the factors influencing their acceptability are reported.


2015 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
pp. 303-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Enrique Puliafito ◽  
David Allende ◽  
Sebastián Pinto ◽  
Paula Castesana

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document