Abstract
Electric vehicles (EVs) are considered as a driving force behind the automotive industry’s transformation based on eco-friendliness and high energy efficiency. Unlike expectations, the diffusion of EVs is proceeding at a slow pace in Korea. This study therefore aims to identify the factors influencing the slow market diffusion of EVs from a socio-technical perspective, by comparing the perceptions of the experts and the individuals. We constructed 15 factors in the five dimensions including costs, automobile characteristics, charging conditions, policy instruments, and perceptions for the analytic hierarchy process analysis. Surveys were performed with 58 EV experts and 87 individuals with driver’s licenses in Korea. The results identified and prioritized charging concerns as the highest barrier in both groups, and burden of costs as another critical barrier in the individual group. All factors in charging concerns, burden of initial costs, insufficient performance, and insufficient financial incentives were identified as major influential factors in both groups. While, lack of non-financial supports (for experts), and burden of battery costs and lack of social empathy (for individuals) were ranked as other upper factors. Statistical analysis of the analysis of variance results revealed that the burden of costs was more of a hurdle to the individuals than to the experts. These results suggest implications for policy-making and practice in promoting a widespread EV market.
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Appendix: Questionnaire items and scales
Appendix: Questionnaire items and scales
Compare relatively important influence as the barriers (dimensions) to market diffusion of EVs in Korea.
Burden of costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Insufficient vehicle competences |
Burden of costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Charging concerns |
Burden of costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Insufficient policies |
Burden of costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of perceptions |
Insufficient vehicle competences | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Charging concerns |
Insufficient vehicle competences | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Insufficient policies |
Insufficient vehicle competences | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of perceptions |
Charging concerns | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Insufficient policies |
Charging concerns | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of perceptions |
Insufficient policies | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of perceptions |
Compare relatively important influence as the barriers (factors) to market diffusion of EVs in Korea.
In terms of burden of costs
Burden of initial costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Burden of operation costs |
Burden of initial costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Burden of battery costs |
Burden of operation costs | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Burden of battery costs |
In terms of insufficient vehicle competences
Insufficient performance | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Concern about safety |
Insufficient performance | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of models |
Concern about safety | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of models |
In terms of charging concerns
Lack of charging infrastructures | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Long charging time |
Lack of charging infrastructures | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Limited driving range |
Long charging time | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Limited driving range |
In terms of insufficient policies
Insufficient financial incentives | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of non-financial supports |
Insufficient financial incentives | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Inefficient industrial policies |
Lack of non-financial supports | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Inefficient industrial policies |
In terms of lack of perceptions
Lack of individual awareness | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Lack of social empathy |
Lack of individual awareness | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Low willingness of automakers |
Lack of social empathy | ⑨-⑧-⑦-⑥-⑤-④-③-②-①-②-③-④-⑥-⑦-⑧-⑨ | Low willingness of automakers |
In the above questionnaire, the scale from ① to ⑨ means the following.
① | Equally important |
② | Equally to moderately important |
③ | Moderately important |
④ | Moderately to strongly important |
⑤ | Strongly important |
⑥ | Strongly to very strongly important |
⑦ | Very strongly important |
⑧ | Very strongly to extremely important |
⑨ | Extremely important |
Explanation on factors in questionnaire
Dimension/factor | Explanation | |
---|---|---|
Burden of costs | Burden of initial costs | Burden of ownership costs including vehicle price and purchasing taxes |
Burden of operation costs | Burden of operation costs including electricity costs | |
Burden of battery costs | Burden of battery changing and maintaining costs | |
Insufficient vehicle competences | Insufficient performance | Concerns about poor vehicle performance including top speed or vehicle output |
Concern about safety | Concerns about poor safety, including vehicle fire or breakdown | |
Lack of models | Lack of selectable vehicle types or models | |
Charging concerns | Lack of charging infrastructures | Lack of availability of charging points or stations |
Long charging time | Long time required to recharging including quick or normal charging | |
Limited driving range | A lack of driving range per one-charging | |
Insufficient policies | Insufficient financial incentives | Insufficient government support through financial incentives including subsidies, tax exemptions |
Lack of non-financial supports | Lack of government’s non-financial supports including bus lane access and exemption from road tolling | |
Inefficient industrial policies | Inefficient government’s policies of industrial promotion including standardization, fuel economy policies, and regulatory | |
Lack of perceptions | Lack of individual awareness | Lack of individual awareness on the benefits and risks of EVs |
Lack of social empathy | Lack of social empathy on eco-friendly and economic benefits | |
Low willingness of automakers | Low willingness of automakers on investment, sales promotion, and advertising on EVs |
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Kim, MK., Park, JH., Kim, K. et al. Identifying factors influencing the slow market diffusion of electric vehicles in Korea. Transportation 47, 663–688 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-018-9908-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-018-9908-1