Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach

Although the use of company cars is associated with more congestion, pollution and accidents compared to privately owned cars, the Belgian fiscal system provides exceptionally high incentives to company cars. As a result, the proportion of company cars is higher in Belgium than in any other OECD cou...

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Main Authors: Liesbeth De Wilde, Imre Keserü, Cathy Macharis, Lieselot Vanhaverbeke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2023.1114437/full
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author Liesbeth De Wilde
Imre Keserü
Cathy Macharis
Lieselot Vanhaverbeke
author_facet Liesbeth De Wilde
Imre Keserü
Cathy Macharis
Lieselot Vanhaverbeke
author_sort Liesbeth De Wilde
collection DOAJ
description Although the use of company cars is associated with more congestion, pollution and accidents compared to privately owned cars, the Belgian fiscal system provides exceptionally high incentives to company cars. As a result, the proportion of company cars is higher in Belgium than in any other OECD country. With a corporate mobility budget, more sustainable options are being offered as an alternative to large diesel-powered company cars, but little is known about how company car drivers value these alternatives. In this article, we explore how car-dependent employees make their choices in the company mobility system and aim to find options that enable more sustainable commuting. A choice-based conjoint analysis carried out among 422 car dependent company car drivers was used to measure their preference for alternative car-based solutions. The results indicate an overall preference for hybrid cars, but a shift toward fully electric vehicles is necessary to have a significant impact on climate change. Our results suggest that respondents with a higher environmental concern are more eager to make the transition toward smaller and fully electric vehicles, which is in line with previous studies. The study revealed that there is currently no alternative that is both more sustainable and more preferred by the sample, which again stresses the need for more drastic government intervention.
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spelling doaj.art-ba2e3df5521249a19468a7e21ba6d28c2023-02-16T11:42:07ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainability2673-45242023-02-01410.3389/frsus.2023.11144371114437Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approachLiesbeth De Wilde0Imre Keserü1Cathy Macharis2Lieselot Vanhaverbeke3Mobilise Mobility and Logistics Research Group, Department of BUTO, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumMobilise Mobility and Logistics Research Group, Department of BUTO, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumMobilise Mobility and Logistics Research Group, Department of BUTO, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumMOBI Research Centre, Department of BUTO, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumAlthough the use of company cars is associated with more congestion, pollution and accidents compared to privately owned cars, the Belgian fiscal system provides exceptionally high incentives to company cars. As a result, the proportion of company cars is higher in Belgium than in any other OECD country. With a corporate mobility budget, more sustainable options are being offered as an alternative to large diesel-powered company cars, but little is known about how company car drivers value these alternatives. In this article, we explore how car-dependent employees make their choices in the company mobility system and aim to find options that enable more sustainable commuting. A choice-based conjoint analysis carried out among 422 car dependent company car drivers was used to measure their preference for alternative car-based solutions. The results indicate an overall preference for hybrid cars, but a shift toward fully electric vehicles is necessary to have a significant impact on climate change. Our results suggest that respondents with a higher environmental concern are more eager to make the transition toward smaller and fully electric vehicles, which is in line with previous studies. The study revealed that there is currently no alternative that is both more sustainable and more preferred by the sample, which again stresses the need for more drastic government intervention.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2023.1114437/fullchoice based conjoint analysisstated preferencecar userssustainable mobilitytravel behaviorcompany cars
spellingShingle Liesbeth De Wilde
Imre Keserü
Cathy Macharis
Lieselot Vanhaverbeke
Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach
Frontiers in Sustainability
choice based conjoint analysis
stated preference
car users
sustainable mobility
travel behavior
company cars
title Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach
title_full Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach
title_fullStr Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach
title_full_unstemmed Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach
title_short Finding alternatives for the traditional diesel-powered company car: A conjoint analysis approach
title_sort finding alternatives for the traditional diesel powered company car a conjoint analysis approach
topic choice based conjoint analysis
stated preference
car users
sustainable mobility
travel behavior
company cars
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2023.1114437/full
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AT cathymacharis findingalternativesforthetraditionaldieselpoweredcompanycaraconjointanalysisapproach
AT lieselotvanhaverbeke findingalternativesforthetraditionaldieselpoweredcompanycaraconjointanalysisapproach