This article presents the BEV (battery electric vehicle) purchase decision in terms of a household's entire stock of vehicles, car purchase behavior and travel behavior. Within this framework, households which own both electric vehicles and gasoline vehicles are called 'hybrid households'. Because nearly all consumers are unfamiliar with the characteristics of BEVs, an interactive interview was designed which was based on week-long travel diaries. These diaries were called Purchase Intentions and Range Estimation Games (PIREG) and they explored hypothetical hybrid household vehicle use. The primary finding is that consumers' perceived driving range needs are substantially lower than previous hypothetical stated preference studies conclude. Evidence of a viable market for BEVs with 60 to 100 miles driving range was obtained. (Author/publisher).
Abstract