ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS A SOLUTION FOR GREEN DRIVING IN THE FUTURE? A FIELD STUDY EXAMINING THE USER ACCEPTANCE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Abstract

Facing growing CO2-emissions, alternative means of transportation such as electric vehicles (EVs) have arisen. The aim of the current study is to examine user acceptance and the impact of EVs on the user's daily mobility behavior using psychologically based methods. For this purpose a large scale field study with two periods of six month of EV use was carried out in the metropolitan area of Berlin. The methodology applied three times during each usage-period includes in depth interviews, questionnaires, travel and charging diaries as well as a conjoint analysis. The paper gives an overview over the variety of methods used in the study and outlines preliminary results indicating that users have a positive attitude towards EVs and a good acceptance of the new technology.