Understanding public charging preferences of potential and existing electric vehicle users in Great Britain

Song, Rongqiu 2024. Understanding public charging preferences of potential and existing electric vehicle users in Great Britain. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Understanding the factors influencing an individual’s choice for public-charging infrastructure is important to facilitate Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption and support the development of on-demand public charging networks. In this thesis, a survey containing a stated preference discrete choice experiment was conducted with a total of 588 potential and existing EV users in Great Britain. The aim was to explore what features of public charging points are perceived as important for existing and potential EV (non-EV) users. This was achieved through a thoughtful synthesis of a literature review on all relevant indicators, followed by the design of a discrete stated preference choice experiment focused on public charging, whose reliability was then validated by conducting cognitive interviews. Through choice modelling, significant disparities in preferences between EV users and potential users were identified. Both EV and non-EV users preferred lower charging prices, shorter waiting times, a higher percentage of renewable energy sources at public charging stations, automatic verification by just plugging in the charger, and nearby facilities such as small stores, cafes, or shopping centres to be built around the charging station and five-star charging stations. In addition, they were indifferent to varying payment methods and the number of charging points available at the public charging station. However, non-EV users specifically valued fast charging availability while EV users did not perceive this as important. The latent class logit model succeeds in classifying two distinct groups among EV and non-EV users, revealing important preferences and different socio-demographic and attitudinal characteristics. Their preferences towards charging prices were associated with income level, while their preferences towards charging locations were found to interact with gender differences. Finally, the attitudinal variables (e.g., environmental cognition, risk aversion, technophilia) had significant impacts on the EV user segment’s public charging preference, the effect on non-EV users was not substantial. These findings have important implications for policymakers and public charging service providers to help identify potential early adopters and consumer segments of public charging users, and to help shape the desired public charging infrastructur

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	electric vehicles, public charging preferences, cognitive interview, stated preference discrete choice experiment, discrete choice models
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 October 2024
Last Modified:	11 Oct 2024 08:06
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/172773

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