Commuter and non-commuter preferences for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle: A case study of Delhi and Kolkata, India

This paper investigates the commuter and non-commuter preferences for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in two Indian metro cities namely Delhi and Kolkata based on a stated preference (SP) framework. The SP data collected from the car-owning population in each city were analyzed using Mixed Logit (ML) models to obtain the commuter and non-commuter respondents’ perceived benefit associated with PHEV operation-specific attributes in terms of willingness to pay (WTP). Thereafter, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to understand the impact of improvement in related attributes on consumer preferences towards PHEVs. The findings suggest an added focus by car manufacturers on fuel cost savings, battery recharging time, battery range, tailpipe emission, and battery warranty to attract commuters. This study also highlights that high purchase cost and lack of public charging stations are key barriers towards PHEV adoption. Based on study results, policy actions such as higher subsidy, increased public charging stations, and public educational and awareness campaigns by Government could play a major role towards wider diffusion of PHEVs in Indian context.