Characteristics of potential buyers of low-pollution vehicles: the case of Santiago de Chile

Abstract

AbstractDue to the high emissions produced by the transport sector, one of the most implemented initiatives in developed countries in the last decade is the electrification of the public transport fleet and the private vehicle fleet. The purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles in developing countries is negligible compared to developed countries and little has been indicated about the characteristics of potential buyers of this type of technology. In this paper, we aim to cover this aspect. Chile is a good case to study, as it is an emerging country with the highest level of penetration of electric and hybrid vehicles in the market and with better import scenarios according to the free trade agreements signed with the USA, Europe, and Asia. The results show that the socio-demographic characteristics with the greatest impact on the likelihood of purchasing low-emission vehicles, in the absence of any incentives, are household size, educational level, and gender. Particularly the marginal effects indicate that of the individuals surveyed who belong to a two-person household, they are 9% more likely to choose to buy a low-pollution vehicle compared to single people, and 8.96% less likely to choose a high-pollution vehicle compared to a single person.

Keywords

• Stated preference
• ordered probit model
• buyer characteristics
• low-emission vehicles
• transport decarbonization
• Robert Read