Economic Analysis of Behavioral Aspects of Electromobility With a Focus on Consumer Behavior - A Review

Abstract

Electromobility has achieved a significant breakthrough in recent years, and numerous studies have been carried out in this field. However, the focus has mainly been on technical aspects, and current economic analyses and derived policy implications are based on these technical aspects. With the rising share of electric vehicles, the importance of efficient coordination and their integration into power systems and markets is increasing. This depends, above all, on the behavior of consumers, who make a series of decisions ranging from purchase and usage to disposal. Although there is a large variety of consumer research on electromobility, related reviews primarily focus on distinct aspects, such as acceptance, usage behavior, or incentives. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research, with a clear separation of behavioral aspects. To this end, we summarize the different elements of current efforts in the field: the research on purchasing, tariff choice, charging, and driving. There are few studies on tariff choice between 2016 and 2023, while most of the published articles have focused on charging. Unexpectedly, the citation frequency for articles published in 2016 is lower than that of articles published in 2017 and 2018. This might indicate the growing importance of behavioral research on electromobility. The identified research gaps call for further research on tariff design and associated interactions at the system level to further develop the markets and leverage the potential of integrating electromobility into power systems. The latter concerns economic potential, such as avoiding grid expansion through smart tariffs or technical potential in the context of system services.