Assessing consumer preferences for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): An Indian perspective

This paper reports an investigation to assess consumer preferences towards Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in a typical Indian context. A stated preference survey was designed to collect choice responses from current owners of conventional vehicles (CVs) in two Indian megacities namely Delhi and Kolkata. The data collected from the two cities were analyzed in two stages by developing Mixed Logit (ML) models. In the first stage, consumers' perceived benefit towards PHEV-related attributes were estimated in terms of Willingness to Pay (WTP) values. In the second stage, the potential demand shift from CV to PHEV was estimated by developing demand models. The results indicate the need for an added emphasis on PHEV-specific attributes such as charging time and battery warranty and attribute for general vehicle use such as advance vehicle technology (AVT) option by vehicle manufacturers to make PHEV attractive to consumers in Indian megacities. High purchase price is identified as a major bottleneck for the penetration of PHEV in Indian market. Policy interventions from government in terms of higher subsidy, availability of public charging infrastructure, and environmental education and awareness among consumers are necessary to effectively promote PHEV in Indian context.