What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips?
Climate protection goals in transportation can only be achieved with a worldwide change in mobility behavior that is supported by technological progress and changes in vehicle concepts. One contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions may be using small and light electric vehicles (LEVs) instea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Future Transportation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7590/3/3/51 |
| _version_ | 1797579988602454016 |
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| author | Laura Gebhardt Mascha Brost Robert Seiffert |
| author_facet | Laura Gebhardt Mascha Brost Robert Seiffert |
| author_sort | Laura Gebhardt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate protection goals in transportation can only be achieved with a worldwide change in mobility behavior that is supported by technological progress and changes in vehicle concepts. One contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions may be using small and light electric vehicles (LEVs) instead of cars. LEVs have a favorable ratio of vehicle weight to payload and the efficiency of electric drives contributes to environmental sustainability. As with full-sized electrically powered cars, emissions from combustion processes are eliminated. Going beyond that, the traction batteries in LEVs can be considerably smaller, thereby reducing the consumption of critical raw materials and lowering production-related greenhouse gas emissions. Against this background, we present the results of a study which aimed to determine what proportion of current passenger car trips in Germany could, in theoretical terms, be covered by LEVs. Our estimation of the substitution potential of LEVs for car trips is based on the 2017 Mobility in Germany (MiD) survey, a national household travel survey (NHTS) containing the data of 960,619 trips. Many different types of vehicles, ranging from e-scooters, cargo bikes, and pedelecs to three- and four-wheeled light electric vehicles, are considered. The results show that up to 76% of car trips and 50% of car mileage could theoretically be substituted by LEVs. The results are further analyzed to determine for which trip purposes and age groups the greatest substitution potential exists. Based on the results, we discuss ways for supporting the realization of this potential as well as factors that determine whether the theoretically calculated potential can be realized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:44:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ff79d08ce3734f8a9285ef40d147652e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-7590 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:44:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Future Transportation |
| spelling | doaj.art-ff79d08ce3734f8a9285ef40d147652e2023-11-19T10:49:42ZengMDPI AGFuture Transportation2673-75902023-07-013391893010.3390/futuretransp3030051What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips?Laura Gebhardt0Mascha Brost1Robert Seiffert2Institute of Transport Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rudower Chaussee 7, 12489 Berlin, GermanyInstitute of Vehicle Concepts, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute of Transport Research, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rudower Chaussee 7, 12489 Berlin, GermanyClimate protection goals in transportation can only be achieved with a worldwide change in mobility behavior that is supported by technological progress and changes in vehicle concepts. One contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions may be using small and light electric vehicles (LEVs) instead of cars. LEVs have a favorable ratio of vehicle weight to payload and the efficiency of electric drives contributes to environmental sustainability. As with full-sized electrically powered cars, emissions from combustion processes are eliminated. Going beyond that, the traction batteries in LEVs can be considerably smaller, thereby reducing the consumption of critical raw materials and lowering production-related greenhouse gas emissions. Against this background, we present the results of a study which aimed to determine what proportion of current passenger car trips in Germany could, in theoretical terms, be covered by LEVs. Our estimation of the substitution potential of LEVs for car trips is based on the 2017 Mobility in Germany (MiD) survey, a national household travel survey (NHTS) containing the data of 960,619 trips. Many different types of vehicles, ranging from e-scooters, cargo bikes, and pedelecs to three- and four-wheeled light electric vehicles, are considered. The results show that up to 76% of car trips and 50% of car mileage could theoretically be substituted by LEVs. The results are further analyzed to determine for which trip purposes and age groups the greatest substitution potential exists. Based on the results, we discuss ways for supporting the realization of this potential as well as factors that determine whether the theoretically calculated potential can be realized.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7590/3/3/51micro-mobilityLEVpotential analysiscar trip substitutionuser acceptance |
| spellingShingle | Laura Gebhardt Mascha Brost Robert Seiffert What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips? Future Transportation micro-mobility LEV potential analysis car trip substitution user acceptance |
| title | What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips? |
| title_full | What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips? |
| title_fullStr | What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips? |
| title_short | What Potential Do Light Electric Vehicles Have to Reduce Car Trips? |
| title_sort | what potential do light electric vehicles have to reduce car trips |
| topic | micro-mobility LEV potential analysis car trip substitution user acceptance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7590/3/3/51 |
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