Title: Alternative fuel vehicles: preferences, attitudes, and motives of German students in the field of mobility

Authors: Robert Bauer; Klaus Menrad; Thomas Decker

Addresses: Straubing Center of Science, Schulgasse 16, 94315 Straubing, Germany ' Straubing Center of Science, Schulgasse 16, 94315 Straubing, Germany ' Straubing Center of Science, Schulgasse 16, D-94315 Straubing, Germany

Abstract: In order to increase future market shares of alternative fuel vehicles in Germany, attitudes, motives, and preferences of potential adopters must be considered. Although several scientific studies have been recently conducted in this field, the group of students dealing with the topic cars/mobility in their degree courses was not explicitly regarded yet. This population is a very interesting object of study, since many of these students will not only be potential customers but also are likely to become important disseminators of information and decision-makers in the car/mobility sector in the near future. Thus we analysed the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles in this specific target group. We find that adopters especially prefer alternative fuel vehicles with electric drive system (battery electrics and hybrids). For characterising the adopters group, pro-environmental attitudes are most important, while in contrast, status and prestige of cars are not important.

Keywords: alternative fuel vehicles; preference measurement; conjoint measurement; theory of planned behaviour; TPB; hybrid electric vehicles; HEVs; hybrid vehicles; Germany; environmental attitudes; vehicle status; vehicle prestige; student preferences; student attitudes; student motives; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEHV.2014.067604

International Journal of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, 2014 Vol.6 No.4, pp.298 - 314

Received: 15 May 2014
Accepted: 09 Jul 2014

Published online: 22 Feb 2015 *

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