TY - JOUR
T1 - How drivers decide whether to get a fuel cell vehicle
T2 - An ethnographic decision model
AU - Stotts, Rhian
AU - Lopez-Jaramillo, Oscar G.
AU - Kelley, Scott
AU - Krafft, Aimee
AU - Kuby, Michael
N1 - Funding Information:
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Geography and Spatial Sciences Division, Grant No. 1660514 . Additional support was provided by H. Russell Bernard, Director of the Institute for Social Sciences Research at ASU for seed funding for the grant proposal and the recommendation to use ethnographic decision modeling.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC
PY - 2021/2/16
Y1 - 2021/2/16
N2 - This article develops and tests an ethnographic decision model (EDM) of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) adoption using interviews with California residents that either actually adopted an FCV or “seriously considered” doing so before deciding against it. We developed an initial model from 25 semi-structured interviews in which respondents self-described their decision-making processes. We iteratively tested and refined the model in a second round of 53 structured interviews. The final model consists of a first stage that assesses FCV adoption feasibility and a second stage that compares FCVs to other vehicle types. The model ultimately correctly predicts 86.8% of cases in the sample. In the first stage, respondents preferred to satisfy their need for a primary refueling station near home but a substantial number were willing to rely on a station near or on the way to work or other destination. Most drivers required a convenient backup station and a means of managing long-distance trips. Vehicle size options eliminated a few respondents. None rejected FCV adoption due to insufficient driving range. In the second stage, nearly all drivers engaged in some kind of cost comparison, though the factors considered varied greatly. Most opted for what they viewed as the less costly option, although a few FCV adopters and non-adopters were willing to pay more for their more preferred option. EDM is a promising qualitative research method for generating insights into how people navigate the decision whether or not to get an alternative-fuel vehicle.
AB - This article develops and tests an ethnographic decision model (EDM) of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) adoption using interviews with California residents that either actually adopted an FCV or “seriously considered” doing so before deciding against it. We developed an initial model from 25 semi-structured interviews in which respondents self-described their decision-making processes. We iteratively tested and refined the model in a second round of 53 structured interviews. The final model consists of a first stage that assesses FCV adoption feasibility and a second stage that compares FCVs to other vehicle types. The model ultimately correctly predicts 86.8% of cases in the sample. In the first stage, respondents preferred to satisfy their need for a primary refueling station near home but a substantial number were willing to rely on a station near or on the way to work or other destination. Most drivers required a convenient backup station and a means of managing long-distance trips. Vehicle size options eliminated a few respondents. None rejected FCV adoption due to insufficient driving range. In the second stage, nearly all drivers engaged in some kind of cost comparison, though the factors considered varied greatly. Most opted for what they viewed as the less costly option, although a few FCV adopters and non-adopters were willing to pay more for their more preferred option. EDM is a promising qualitative research method for generating insights into how people navigate the decision whether or not to get an alternative-fuel vehicle.
KW - Battery electric vehicle
KW - Decision tree
KW - Early adopters
KW - Ethnographic decision model
KW - Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.12.042
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.12.042
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85098629599
SN - 0360-3199
VL - 46
SP - 8736
EP - 8748
JO - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
IS - 12
ER -