Spatial differences in PEV demand: The case of Denmark

The demand for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has increased in many countries, and many studies have focused on the influence of attributes and socio-economic variables. However, only a few studies have analysed the spatial heterogeneity in uptake within a country. In this study, we analyse demand variation across regions, using Denmark as a case example. The analysis applies mixed logit models and hybrid choice models to investigate the extent to which charging access, socio-economic variables, and attitudes can explain spatial differences in demand, using stated preference data from a large Danish consumer survey. Our results show that some socio-economic variables, especially education and gender, have an effect, however, the main factor appears to be attitudes linked to perception differences, which weakens the direct effect of education. When we account for these factors, the coefficients for regional dummy variables become much smaller and mostly insignificant. These results suggest that, given similar regional charging networks, it may be possible to achieve more uniform demand by removing perception barriers related to PEVs.