Increasing Electric Vehicle Uptake by Updating Public Policies to Shift Attitudes and Perceptions: Case Study of New Zealand

Gail Helen Broadbent, Graciela Isabel Metternicht and Thomas Oliver Wiedmann
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Gail Helen Broadbent: Faculty of Sciences, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney 2052, Australia
Graciela Isabel Metternicht: Faculty of Sciences, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney 2052, Australia
Thomas Oliver Wiedmann: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW, Sydney 2052, Australia

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-20

Abstract: Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are required from all actors. Adopting plug-in electric vehicles (EV) would reduce light motor vehicle travel emissions, a significant and rising emissions source. To encourage EV uptake, many governments have implemented policies which may be less effective than desired. Using New Zealand as a case study, we surveyed private motorists. The results show that consumers are heterogeneous, with varying car-buying motivations, perceptions, attitudes to EVs and awareness of policies. Uniquely, we segmented motorists into four attitudinal groups to ascertain characteristics potentially affecting EV readiness to provide evidence to improve policies and aid social marketing. Our results show the next-most-ready to buy EVs are early mainstream consumers—designated the EV Positives—who were most concerned about vehicle range, perceptions of EV expense, charging-related inconvenience and the unknown value proposition of batteries, and were relatively unaware of incentives compared to EV Owners. The EV Positives favored incentives designed to effect purchase price reductions and increase nation-wide fast-charger deployment. To increase awareness of EVs and shift perceptions of EV expense and inconvenience, we suggest policies that potentially increase EV adoption rates and suggest reframing the language to appeal to EV Positives through information programs. Increasing EV procurement by organizations could increase opportunities for positive information dissemination via employees.

Keywords: electric vehicle; public policy; consumer behavior; adoption; diffusion of innovation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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