Understanding customers’ battery electric vehicle sharing adoption based on hybrid choice model

Abstract

Carsharing as a sustainable mode faces many difficulties such as low market share and acceptance rate in developing and developed countries. In order to develop effective promotion strategies, this study provides insights on the effects of the key factors, including customers’ attitude, level of service, and vehicle restriction policies, on the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing service. The hybrid choice model framework is incorporated to quantify unobserved attitudinal variables and their effects. In the framework, factor analysis methods are used to construct the factor structure for latent attitudinal variables, a multiple-indicator multiple-cause model is incorporated to capture the relationship between observed variables and latent variables, and a multinomial logit model is used to comprehensively investigate the effects of the key factors on carsharing choice. Results indicate that Beijing permanent residency, demand for private cars, travel pattern, and home-work area have the most significant effects on the attitude towards carsharing. Attitudes such as environmental consciousness, social benefits, satisfaction with transport system, and reliability significantly affect the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing. Vehicle cruising range and free-floating availability are two crucial factors that hinder the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing against conventional gasoline vehicle sharing. Results also indicate that the quota scheme on private car plate registration improves the adoption intention of carsharing while restrictions on vehicle use owing to license plates significantly affects the adoption of battery electric vehicle sharing. The findings act as a reference for policy-making, promotion strategy, and operation management of carsharing.