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Factors Affecting the Uptake of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in the European Union

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  • Panayotis Christidis

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 41092 Seville, Spain
    Disclaimer: The views expressed are purely those of the authors and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission.)

  • Caralampo Focas

    (Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK)

Abstract

This paper explores the factors affecting the uptake of hybrid and electric vehicles in the European Union (EU) using data from two extensive cross-sectional surveys. Each survey consists of 26,500 responses to a questionnaire that combines socio-economic and behavioral aspects. The share of respondents across the EU stating that they would certainly or probably consider purchasing a hybrid or a battery-powered electric vehicle (H&EV) in the near future rose from 32% in 2014 to 37.4% in 2018. There is, however, a high variability among EU member states, as well as across different socio-economic groups. Propensity is highly correlated with income, educational attainment, and urbanization level. In order to address the high degree of collinearity, we applied a machine learning classification model to analyze and explain the interaction between the variables that affected the expressed propensity to purchase such a vehicle. The findings highlight something largely missing from the literature, namely that local conditions and regional variation are a major, if not decisive, factor regarding purchasing choices. Seen from a policy perspective, this conclusion may provide guidance regarding how to support the take up of H&EVs through measures that are tailored to the specific needs at the local level.

Suggested Citation

  • Panayotis Christidis & Caralampo Focas, 2019. "Factors Affecting the Uptake of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in the European Union," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:18:p:3414-:d:264147
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    11. Mengnan Li & Haiyi Ye & Xiawei Liao & Junping Ji & Xiaoming Ma, 2020. "How Shenzhen, China pioneered the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in a major city: Implications for global implementation," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), July.
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