Abstract:

The transition to electric vehicles is essential to the goal of carbon neutrality. It is critical to gain a deeper understanding of the use cases of current users and remove obstacles for potential electric vehicle (EV) owners in everyday life to counteract the impact of the public incentives for buying EVs being reduced. To this end, this study analyzes 11-month usage data from a large EV sample, including 3,777 battery EVs and 5,973 plug-in hybrid EVs. Based on their daily travel intensity, the EVs are clustered into two groups used primarily for private and commercial purposes. The authors leverage the data to uncover how, when, and where users in each group charge their EVs; investigate EVs’ energy consumption efficiency and its relationship to charging; and discuss EV-related policy implications. The outcome of this study may aid in developing more targeted EV promotion policies and thus contribute to carbon neutrality.