Electric vehicles rising from the dead: Data needs for forecasting consumer response toward sustainable energy sources in personal transportation

Since standard vehicles are powered by internal combustion mechanisms that rely on fossil fuels, electric vehicles that are propelled by one or more electric engines have been proposed as an alternative to promote sustainable personal transportation. In this paper we propose a general demand model for vehicle purchases at the individual level assuming that the necessary microdata is available. We then list the ideal microdata that would be needed for estimating this general demand model. For elaborating this list, we take into account the particularities of low emission vehicles, with emphasis in their cost-reliability-environmental benefits tradeoff, as well as the potentiality for evaluation of welfare improving policies related to adoption of energy-efficient technologies. We discuss data sources and collection strategies for the different attributes of the model, especially for those characteristics that are nonstandard such as symbolic values. For instance, we discuss the role of range anxiety as a barrier of adoption of electric vehicles, and the implied relevance of including driving range to get consumers’ willingness to pay for better performing electric batteries.