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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (3 results)

  • Article
Working Papers (2016)
This paper reports the evaluation of EV Explorer, an online vehicle informational tool. EV Explorer allows users to compare fuel costs for different vehicles based on their own commuting patterns, charging opportunities, vehicle mileage, and local fuel prices. All these inputs can be adjusted by the user for a tailored estimate of annual fuel costs for up to four user-selected vehicles at a time. Default vehicle comparisons promote consideration of plug-in hybrid electric and fully electric vehicles (PEVs). The authors evaluated EV Explorer through online experimentation, gauging users’ perceptions—before and after using the website—of their current fuel costs, potential savings with PEVs, attitude toward PEV charging, and intention to buy or lease a PEV in the future. Statistically significant changes in each of these variables validate EV Explorer as an educational tool and a persuasive eco-feedback intervention to promote the adoption of PEVs.
    Cover page: EV Explorer: Evaluating a Vehicle Informational Tool
    • Article
    Research Reports (2023)

    This research developed EV Explorer 2.0, an online vehicle cost calculator (VCC) to meet the requirements of transportation network company (TNC) drivers considering acquiring an electric vehicle (EV). The tool was built to also support the needs of other users considering an EV, including other types of gig economy drivers as well as the general population of non-professional drivers. EV Explorer 2.0 includes several important features and functionalities to support the TNC driver use case that are not found in any other available tool: (1) It allows users to estimate TCO for used vehicles as well as new (others only estimate TCO for new vehicles); (2) Outputs include ridehail-driving income estimates, accounting for EV trip bonuses offered by Uber, net driving costs; (3) Estimates of total cost of driving (TCD) include charging network membership fees and charging session fees (in addition to electricity prices). It also includes key features found in other leading tools, such as presenting and tailoring EV purchase/lease incentive estimates (based on a database we developed), and innovative features to benefit all users, such asanimations conveying the social and environmental impacts of vehicle choice. Design features were informed and validated inuser testing with TNC drivers who had expressed interest in EV adoption.

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      Cover page: Developing a Vehicle Cost Calculator to Promote Electric Vehicle Adoption Among TNC Drivers
      • Article
      Research Reports (2021)
      Results from this report highlight how alternative fuel vehicles are used based on data collected between 2015 and 2020. Alternative fuel vehicles include plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), vehicles that are either battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). This category of vehicle technologies is included in the California Air Resources Board’s Zero Emission Vehicle regulations and is referred to as ZEV in this report. We explore the environmental impacts of driving, charging behavior and infrastructure. In households with ZEVs, the data from surveys, loggers, and interviews indicate that those vehicles are being used extensively. This report, which combined the data collected in two consecutive studies between 2015-2020, includes first and second generation PEVs popular in California between 2011-2018. The BEVs include the first-generation, shortrange Nissan Leaf and the long range BEVs such as the Chevrolet Bolt and Tesla Model S. The PHEVs include short range sedans such as the Toyota Prius Plug-in and longer-range vehicles such as the Toyota Prius Prime, Chevrolet Volt and Chrysler Pacifica. The FCVs include the most popular fuel cell vehicle, the Toyota Mirai.
        Cover page: Emerging Technology Zero Emission Vehicle Household Travel and Refueling Behavior
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