An Integrative Approach to Study on Consumer Behavior towards Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Revolution: Consumer Behavior towards Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Introduction

Modern studies on green technologies for transportation sector are attaining attraction among the research communities from diverse parts. In this wake, Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have a bright future because of their battery system and charging facilities from the traditional power system. Numerous investigators have demonstrated that a great amount of decreases in greenhouse gas emissions and the growing reliance on oil could be accomplished by the transport electrification (Caramanis & Foster, 2009). Although road transportation is not considered as the leading source of greenhouse-gas emissions, but it contributes the major part of the emission. Transportation in recent days are the major unsustainable source of energies, depend on the liquid fossil fuels. Research suggest that the transportation sector at present consume over 55% of oil and emit around 25% of CO2 in total (Howey, 2012). With the introduction of Electric vehicles technology marked a considerable amount of carbon-free transportation in current market trend. By keeping a close consideration of the research on electric vehicle technology, where the main idea was to in cooperated electrically charged battery supported vehicles i.e. PHEVs came into the current market trend. We scale out our domain to study their potential introduction from an integrated perspective. Furthermore, we extend our domain to observe its interactions between technology and economic behavior and its market diffusion influence. Several studies and analysis are extended by taking major confirmations and verifications from Western Europe and North America and Asia in general. On the contrary, the analysis of energy implications is also being kept in close consideration throughout the world. However, Figure 1 displays the energy implication around the world.

Figure 1.

Energy implication around the world

Source: Ellabban, Abu-Rub, & Blaabjerg, 2014.

The current marketing trend suggests that the transport sector is accountable for over 27% of total energy utilization. In the wake of future growth, it is expected to increase by 50% possibly by 2035 (Tran, Banister, Bishop, & McCulloch, 2012). Keeping in mind overall 94% dependency on oil fuel, passenger vehicle considered to be another source of CO2 emissions weigh up to 6.3 Gt or over 24% in general of the total, on the other hand electricity generation (40%), industrial usage (16%), building usage (12%), agricultural sector and other usage (8%) (Tran et al., 2012). Figure 2 shows the statistics.

Figure 2.

Greenhouse gas emissions by sector

Source: Khondaker et al., 2016.