California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project Application and Consumer Survey Data: Data used in a 2020 analysis of "EV Converts"
Description
These data are from a survey of participants in the California's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, a statewide consumer cash rebate for the purchase or lease of a qualifying clean vehicle. The survey data were used in an analysis of "EV Converts" or rebate recipients who had little or no knowledge or interest in an EV at the start of their new car search. The abstract for that work follows here: To expand markets for plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) beyond enthusiastic early adopters, investments must be strategic. This research characterizes a segment of EV adoption that points the way toward the mainstream: EV consumers with low or no initial interest in EVs, or “EV Converts.” Logistic regression is utilized to profile EV Convert demographic, household, and regional characteristics; vehicle-transaction details; and purchase motivations—based on 2016–2017 survey data characterizing 5,447 rebated California EV consumers. Explanatory factors are rank-ordered—separately for battery EVs (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), to inform targeted outreach and incentive design. EV Converts tend to have relatively “lower” values on factors that might have otherwise “pre-converted” them to EV interest: hours researching EVs online; motivation from environmental impacts and carpool-lane access; and solar ownership. PHEV Converts more closely resemble new-car buyers, but BEV Converts “go beyond” mainstream markets on two measures: they are younger and less-frequently white/Caucasian than new-car buyers. BEV Converts also tend to: lack workplace charging, be moderately motivated by energy independence, and reside in Southern California or the Central Valley. Predictors that not only help target, but also help convert, consumers include rebates for BEV consumers and, modestly, fuel-cost savings for PHEV consumers. Version 2: corrected a typo in the title and description on Mendeley Data page and in the 2020-10_CVRP-Data-EV-Converts.xlsx file (now 2020-10_CVRP-Data-EV-Converts_v2.xlsx).