User Adoption of Electrified Powertrains: Identification of Factors Through Discrete Choice Modelling

This study identified the main factors affecting car selection decisions through discrete choice experiments based on a large dataset collected in four European countries in 2023 using stated choice questionnaires. The choice set includes six current and popular car powertrains with factors related to vehicle features, user characteristics, and specific geographical contexts, which can influence the adoption of vehicles with electrified powertrains. An easily applicable multinomial logit model was first proposed to explore the effects of selected attributes and the model’s ability to reproduce user preferences with different incentive policies, geographical contexts, and energy prices. A mixed logit model and a segmented multinomial logit model were introduced to consider the sample’s heterogeneity. The first captures the preference dispersion among respondents related to incentives and operational costs. The second, which specifically classifies users based on car market segments, showed a greater variation in factors related to the purchase cost and battery range. The models estimate the weight of nine factors, offering support for targeted policy recommendations. Cost-related factors confirm their relevance in choices, and the analysis shows that users who want to enhance their vehicle range by 1 km are willing to pay approximately EUR 80.