Barriers to Consumer Adoption of Plug-in Electric Vehicles
The Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, part of the National Academies’ Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences (DEPS), has released a report that evaluates the market barriers that are slowing the purchase of plug-in electric vehicles and hindering the deployment of supporting infrastructure. Several models of plug-in electric vehicles exist on the market today, but sales accounted for less than 1 percent of passenger car and light-duty truck sales in the United States by the end of 2014.
The report focuses on battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, whose common feature is that they charge their batteries by plugging into the electric grid. The report examines the current characteristics and capabilities of plug-in electric vehicle technologies and consumer attitudes toward them; the charging infrastructure needed for vehicle deployment and the ability of the electric grid to meet demands; how federal, state, and local governments can support and implement policies to sustain deployment strategies; and incentives to promote adoption of plug-in electric vehicles.
TRB, like DEPS, is a division of the National Academies, which include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council.
This Summary Last Modified On: 4/23/2015