Promoting the Uptake of Electric Vehicles for Emission Reduction in Estonia

Abstract

Within the European transport sector, emission from cars is the biggest. Therefore, the current thesis concentrates on the development of a behavioral intervention plan to increase the uptake of electric vehicles as non-emitting vehicles in Estonia. The thesis develops a behavioral model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and COM-B models for mapping the influence factors for choosing an electric vehicle. Behavioral insights are the basis for the development of the behavioral intervention plan and the experiment plan for measuring its impact. The results indicate that for people to choose an electric vehicle, charging infrastructure is crucial, especially the possibility to install a home charger. Besides the opinion of the potential environmental benefits, acquisition costs, the decrease in value of electric vehicles and servicing costs are considered important. Motivation to become an electric vehicle user increases with a positive attitude, which is stronger when people have knowledge about electric vehicles. The suggested intervention plan envisaging a principle of fiscal prudence and easy implementation with maximum impact foresees an experience-sharing by publicly known people, workshops for car dealerships and illustrative material comparing the environmental impact of EV and combustion engine vehicles. To mitigate concerns regarding the value decrease of electric vehicles, the introduction of an insurance option for the battery is proposed. To enable the uptake of an electric vehicle, it is essential to identify and address the obstacles hindering the installation of home chargers.