Urban Travel Behavior and Consumer Interest in Alternative Fuel Vehicles

Alternatives to petroleum based fuels have been making significant inroads in the automobile market. A major worldwide experiment is effectively underway in the form of the (re-) introduction of the electric vehicle, with every developed country as well as the burgeoning auto market of China having made significant investments in supply chain and battery technology, and introduced ambitious policy goals for electrics penetrating the vehicle fleet. This is occurring in addition to the continued proliferation of gasoline-electric hybrids among automaker models. Clean diesel technology has also received significant attention, and diesel fuels have long been popular in heavily regulated Europe, particularly for performance vehicles. With hydrogen and fuel cells also receiving renewed interest, there are an unprecedented amount of options for fuels and powertrains on the vehicle market. Much of the recent research in alternative fueled vehicles has focused on the attitudes and perceptions that influence vehicle adoption, and on the influence of barriers, incentives, and policies toward vehicle adoption. Relatively little work has been focused on the effect of consumer travel patterns on the likelihood for such vehicles to be adopted by the consumers using them. This study uses a survey of urban residents in the twenty-one of the largest cities in the US to assess the role of travel behavior in influencing stated preferences for four types of alternative fueled vehicles: diesel fuel, conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and plug-in electric vehicles. The results indicate a specific potential role for alternative fueled vehicles based on behavior and holding constant socio-economic and environmental lifestyle factors already known to influence vehicle perception. Respondents indicated significant fears in the ability of plug-in electric vehicles to meet the needs of discretionary trips. A lack of knowledge about the length and frequency of these trips may be fueling this response. For work-trips in households with already a large number of car trips, respondents viewed plug-in electric vehicles favorably. There was also the possibility of conventional and plug-in hybrids providing mobility enhancement for choice transit and walk/bike users. These results are discussed in light of their implications for policies designed to enact change in societal goals via adoption of alternative fueled vehicles.