Innovative survey of car drivers' mobility in six European countries: some results and methodological lessons

As part of a study for the JRC-IET of the European Commission aimed at building a database of energy load profiles of Electric-Drive vehicles based on car usage patterns, a travel survey was administered in six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and United Kingdom). A sample of in average more than 600 car drivers per country filled in a very detailed car trip diary for a whole week using a self-administered web-based questionnaire. In this paper the application is presented and discussed to highlight strengths and weaknesses of the methodology used and learn useful indications for future applications. In particular, the appropriateness of the self-administered questionnaire and of the sample extracted from an existing panel of individuals used for marketing researches is discussed.