Adoption of electric cars in sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding consumers' choice behaviour in urban Tanzania

Abstract

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) presents a promising opportunity for low- and middle-income countries to transition to cleaner and more energy-efficient vehicle technologies. However, the success of EV adoption depends highly on consumer acceptance and adoption of these vehicles. This article analyses factors influencing consumers' intention to adopt electric cars in urban areas of Tanzania. The article employs Discrete Choice Experiment techniques to create a hypothetical electric car market in urban Tanzania. It uses Hierarchical Bayes analysis to determine the part-worth utility scores and the relative importance of attributes that affect respondents' purchase decisions for electric cars. The findings indicate that, although purchasing price is also considered important, driving range is the most significant factor influencing the adoption of electric vehicles in Tanzania's emerging EV market. The article offers insights into the factors that impact consumer intention to adopt EVs in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with limited coverage of EV literature.