Drivers of Transportation: Measuring the Impact of Policy on Adoption of Alternative Fuel Vehicles

The effects of fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards continue to reverberate through the automotive industry as governments attempt to reduce tailpipe emissions. Manufacturers are developing alternative fuel powertrains and more efficient internal combustion engines in order to meet these tightening regulations. However, customers do not seem to have as much appetite for these alternatives as policymakers anticipate. Understanding what consumers want and what policy approaches work best to drive adoption of more efficient vehicles is the subject of KAPSARC’s automotive research project “Transportation Policy Effectiveness and Alignment with Consumer Demand.” The project’s initial focus is on the United States (US), as this has the most complete data set with which to demonstrate the framework. KAPSARC is developing an Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV) Policy Database for the US, detailing hundreds of different Transportation Rebates, Initiatives, Incentives, and Policies (TRIIPs) designed and implemented by federal, state and local governments to encourage AFV adoption. Examples range from local free in-town parking for hybrids to a federal tax credit for the purchase of a batteryelectric vehicle. These TRIIPs are geo-coded and will populate an open-source, interactive policy map, providing guidance and insight for decision makers to evaluate and select the most effective policies for specific state and local situations.