Tracking National Household Vehicle Usage by Type, Age, and Area in Support of Market Assessments for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Zhou, Yan; Vyas, Anant; Santini, Danilo · 2013 · Crossref

DOI: 10.4236/jtts.2013.32017

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Summary

This study investigates household vehicle usage patterns to assess the market potential for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). Because PHEVs carry a higher purchase price than conventional vehicles, their economic viability depends on high usage rates to offset the initial investment. The research aims to identify which vehicle types, ages, and geographic areas exhibit the highest utilization, thereby determining the optimal market niche for early-stage PHEV adoption. The analysis also explores reasons for vehicle non-use to understand barriers to high utilization. The authors analyzed data from the 2009 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), which included 150,147 households and 309,163 vehicles. Vehicles were categorized by type (car, van, SUV, pickup), age (≤10 years vs. >10 years), and location (Metropolitan Statistical Area [MSA] vs. non-MSA). The study classified vehicles as “used” or “not used” on the survey day. “Not used” vehicles were further subdivided into three categories: left at home while other household vehicles were used, left at home because travelers used other modes, or left at home due to no household trips. “Used” vehicles were split into those with reported travel data and those without. The analysis examined usage probabilities across these categories, considering population density and day-of-week variations. Results indicate that approximately 40% of household vehicles were not used on the survey day. The primary reason for non-use was that households owned and used other vehicles, accounting for 28.8% of all vehicles. Older vehicles (>10 years) were significantly less likely to be used (50.1%) compared to newer vehicles (≤10 years, 67.8%). Among newer vehicles, SUVs and vans exhibited the highest usage rates, at approximately 74%, surpassing cars (71.4%) and pickups (57.7%). Geographically, newer cars were used more frequently in MSAs, whereas pickups were used more often in non-MSAs. However, pickups had the highest rate of being “left at home,” particularly in rural areas. In high-density urban areas, SUV usage increased on weekends, suggesting they serve as secondary vehicles for leisure travel, while cars remained the primary weekday vehicle. The study concludes that SUVs, particularly newer models, are the most utilized vehicle type and should be strongly considered as a primary target for PHEV market entry, alongside cars. The high usage rates of SUVs and vans suggest they offer the best opportunity to achieve the daily mileage necessary to justify the higher cost of PHEV technology. Conversely, pickups are less suitable for early PHEV adoption due to lower utilization rates and frequent non-use. These findings provide decision-makers and manufacturers with evidence-based insights to target specific vehicle segments and demographics where high usage ensures the financial and environmental benefits of PHEVs are realized.

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence