Impact of Charging Price Subsidies on the Charging Behavior of Heterogeneous Electric Vehicle Drivers: Evidence from Beijing

Xiaoli Zhao, Haoran Chen, Yueming Qiu and Yarui Deng

Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 2026, vol. 13, issue 3, 713 - 754

Abstract: Scheduling electric vehicle (EV) charging behavior in the context of large-scale EV development is vital for building low-carbon societies. Using 2020 public charging data from Beijing, China, this study applies a difference-in-differences (DID) model to examine the impact of flexible charging price subsidies on drivers’ behavior, distinguishing between business and private drivers to capture heterogeneity. The results show that a subsidy of CNY 0.4/kWh significantly increased the average daily charging volume by 25.29%. Specifically, the daily charging volume increased by 59.68% for business drivers and 12.22% for private drivers. The price elasticity of charging demand for all EV drivers was estimated at −0.95, with business and private drivers showing elasticities of −2.24 and −0.46, respectively. The economic and environmental benefits resulting from these behavioral changes after policy optimization are further discussed. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring price incentive policies to the varying sensitivities of different driver types.

Date: 2026
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