Potential use of electric vehicle in Wallonia

Abstract

The environment problems are worldwide concerns nowadays. The air and noise pollution, the use of fossil fuels in transport etc. are mainly some of the things that affect the environment in the World. To reduce those environmental problems, governments encourage the persons to use zero carbon vehicles like EVs (electric vehicles) for their daily travel behavior for example from home to work, study or for their leisure. In Belgium there are some EVs but the purchasing and use of them is still low because of especially their price, battery limit (recharging) and small travelled distance. In this study used a questionnaire survey where the respondents that lives in Wallonia gave their thoughts and opinions about the use of EVs. In each province of Wallonia, 4 communes were chosen randomly. After collecting the data, a database have been created for treatments and analysis in R software where descriptive statistics, linear regression and logit - probit analysis are assessed to see the likelihood to use an EV and predict the probabilities of using an EV in Wallonia. The analysis show that the preference of an EV over an oil (petrol/diesel) vehicle, depends on different factors. The purchase of the EV depends on the user consideration, the near future buyers (early adopter), the use of EV to go to work, the environmentally aware persons but at a lower level, depends again on having already an experience of an electric or a hybrid vehicle, the level of education and the household income. Even though some respondents wants to buy an EV, they are still limited by the price, the battery life, the shorter distance to travel and most importantly the production of electricity for EV. If the production of electricity is low-carbon emissions or no CO2 emissions at all like renewable sources and new technologies that improve the battery life, the shorter distance, and the stimulation of the government like subsidies for EV purchase the EV can be successful in Wallonia especially in the urban areas.