Investigating the effects of energy export options and policies on consumers’ electric vehicle preferences in a low-uptake country

Electric vehicles (EVs) are pivotal for decarbonising the transport sector, yet adoption rates in many countries fall short of what is needed to meet climate targets. Existing research on consumer preferences for EVs predominantly examines high-adoption regions, focusing on established EV attributes and policies. However, as EV technologies evolve and the policy landscape shifts, understanding their impact on shaping consumer preferences in low-adoption markets is critical. This study investigates the influence of advanced energy export capabilities – Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) – and emerging policies on consumers’ EV preferences in a low-adoption market. We use stated preference data collected from a nationally representative sample in Australia. Notably, this is also the first study to quantify the impact of EV-specific road user charges on consumer preferences. The findings reveal that V2G and V2H capabilities significantly enhance consumer appeal, increasing willingness to pay by up to AUD 8991. This is comparable to the willingness to pay increase of AUD 10,006 associated with a purchase subsidy of AUD 5000. Moreover, favourable monetary incentives deliver greater perceived value to consumers. Conversely, non-favourable policies, such as EV-exclusive road user charges, diminish consumer interest, with a 1 cent per km charge reducing willingness to pay by AUD 5415. These findings underscore the transformative potential of EV energy export features to drive adoption, comparable to the effect of financial incentives, while highlighting the necessity of balanced, consumer-focused policy frameworks to accelerate EV adoption in low-adoption markets.