Battery Electric Vehicles: Travel Characteristics of Early Adopters

Yunwen Feng, Jean-Daniel Saphores, Hilary Nixon () and Monica Ramirez Ibarra
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Yunwen Feng: Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
Jean-Daniel Saphores: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
Hilary Nixon: Mineta Transportation Institute, San José State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA
Monica Ramirez Ibarra: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: Do U.S. households with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) drive less or more than U.S. households with internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs)? Answering this question is important to policymakers and transportation planners concerned with reducing vehicle miles traveled and the emissions of greenhouse gases from transportation. So far, this question has not been answered satisfactorily, possibly because of the relatively low number of EVs in the U.S. until recently, but also because of methodological issues. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by analyzing data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). We apply propensity score matching (PSM), a quasi-experimental method, to examine the differences in self-reported annual mileage and calculated daily mileage for various trip purposes among households with only BEVs (BEV-only), households with both BEVs and ICEVs (BEV+), and households without BEVs (non-BEV households). Our findings indicate that households with BEVs drive fewer annual miles than non-BEV households, but typically travel no less than they do for daily activities. This apparent discrepancy is likely due to taking fewer longer trips because the public charging infrastructure was still in its infancy in 2017, and its reliability was questionable. As technological progress is helping to overcome current battery limitations, policymakers may consider measures for fostering fast charging technologies while pondering new measures to fund both the charging infrastructure and the road network.

Keywords: battery electric vehicles; household travel; National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) 2017; propensity score matching (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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