Accelerating electric vehicles to mainstream consumers

The Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration (CVEI) model helps a range of stakeholders understand the infrastructure needs for the rapid expansion of electric cars and vans, with insight on consumers, batteries, charging and policy including taxation.

The model was developed during the three-year CVEI project (2016-2019), which delivered unique and detailed insight on mainstream consumer behaviour with electric vehicles and the changes needed of existing infrastructure.

CVEI examined the barriers and motivators which influence consumers as they trialled a Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) or a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and an equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) car.

The study gathered in-depth data from vehicles and charge points for 584,000 miles of journeys and 15,700 charge events, covering both home and public locations, while consumer surveys were undertaken to understand attitudes, perceptions and choices.

The three-year Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration (CVEI project delivered unique and detailed insight on mainstream consumer behaviour with electric vehicles and the changes needed of existing infrastructure.
CVEI examined the barriers and motivators which influence consumers as they trialled a Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) or a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) and an equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) car.

The study gathered in-depth data from vehicles and charge points for 584,000 miles of journeys and 15,700 charge events, covering both home and public locations, while consumer surveys were undertaken to understand attitudes, perceptions and choices.

Key findings included:

• 95% of BEV drivers and 85% with PHEV chose smart charging over dumb charging, to automatically avoid charging at times of peak grid demand or when electricity is most expensive.
• Mainstream consumers trialling all three types of car said they were willing to pay more for BEVs or PHEVs over an ICE vehicle, as long as the savings on running costs delivered a payback in fewer than 5 years.