Am I really willing to use my electric vehicle sustainably? A study on the charging preferences of electric vehicle users

Abstract

As, in most countries, electricity cannot be efficiently and practically stored at a systemic level, charging EVs during peak hours implies that additional energy has to be generated (relying almost exclusively on fossil sources) to cover the additional demand during that time window. This article reports the results of an SP-study, in which EV-owners were confronted with the option of charging their EVs at home (for a fixed known price) or at a publicly accessible charging station with charging price variability (as well as other features of EV charging). The results of the behavioral experiment show that EV-users exhibit a high willingness to accept alternative compensations for not charging EVs during peak-hours and that small monetary incentives as well as shorter access times, a guaranteed charging place, or fast charging could all efficiently promote a shift in the charging patterns toward a more sustainable behavior.