The importance of socio-demographic characteristics, geographic setting, and attitudes for adoption of electric vehicles in Sweden

Abstract

Although the number of different types of EVs is increasing, they still constitute only a small share of the total vehicle market. There are a number of barriers to car owners’ adoption of an EV: travel needs, charging infrastructure, the individual car owner’s socio-economic characteristics, attitudinal factors, and environmental concern. In this study, the characteristics and geographic location of all private car owners in Sweden (N = 4,447,118) are charted. Through analysis of survey data (N = 1192), the importance of socio-demographic attributes, geographic conditions, car interest, personal and social norms, and environmental concern is estimated. Mapping EV ownership shows that, so far, EV adoption has mainly occurred in metropolitan areas and also to some extent in hotspots outside the metropolitan areas, and that these hotspots are tourist regions that may be exposed to EVs via, for example, Norwegian tourists in the Swedish case. Logistic regression analyses show that age and education level have positive impacts on EV ownership. Residential area also has an influence to some extent, pointing to a slight neighborhood effect in EV adoption. However, the most important factor influencing EV ownership is the individual’s personal norms. In addition to showcasing EV adoption patterns in Sweden, the contribution of this study is to point to the importance of the attitudinal factor of personal norm even when geographical conditions and socio-demographic characteristics are controlled for. Implications of the findings are discussed.