The electric vehicle (EV) represents a new eco-friendly mode of transport which involves different kinds of constraints to use that are likely to affect driving behaviour. In order to study the impact of electric technology on driving behaviour in France, the BMW Group in Munich contracted IFSTTAR to lead and undertake scientific research for the MINI E France Project. In this study, 25 'private users' from Paris drove for 6 months a MINI E (an advanced electric vehicle prototype). The study focused on how drivers used the EV, via analysis of their trips and the behaviours they adopted in their daily routine, using questionnaires, travel and charge diaries. This paper describes the outcomes of the study, in particular how EV characteristics can induce changes in driving behaviours that affect different levels of control of the driving task, at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. The important connection between eco-friendly driving and safe driving behaviour in electric vehicles is discussed. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting