Interaction of consumer preferences and climate policies in the global transition to low-carbon vehicles

  • David L. McCollum
  • , Charlie Wilson
  • , Michela Bevione
  • , Samuel Carrara
  • , Oreane Y. Edelenbosch
  • , Johannes Emmerling
  • , Céline Guivarch
  • , Panagiotis Karkatsoulis
  • , Ilkka Keppo
  • , Volker Krey
  • , Zhenhong Lin
  • , Eoin Broin
  • , Leonidas Paroussos
  • , Hazel Pettifor
  • , Kalai Ramea
  • , Keywan Riahi
  • , Fuminori Sano
  • , Baltazar Solano Rodriguez
  • , Detlef P. van Vuuren

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

172 Scopus citations

Abstract

Burgeoning demands for mobility and private vehicle ownership undermine global efforts to reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Advanced vehicles powered by low-carbon sources of electricity or hydrogen offer an alternative to conventional fossil-fuelled technologies. Yet, despite ambitious pledges and investments by governments and automakers, it is by no means clear that these vehicles will ultimately reach mass-market consumers. Here, we develop state-of-the-art representations of consumer preferences in multiple global energy-economy models, specifically focusing on the non-financial preferences of individuals. We employ these enhanced model formulations to analyse the potential for a low-carbon vehicle revolution up to 2050. Our analysis shows that a diverse set of measures targeting vehicle buyers is necessary to drive widespread adoption of clean technologies. Carbon pricing alone is insufficient to bring low-carbon vehicles to the mass market, though it may have a supporting role in ensuring a decarbonized energy supply.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)664-673
Number of pages10
JournalNature Energy
Volume3
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2018
Externally publishedYes

Funding

We acknowledge funding provided by the ADVANCE project (FP7/2007–2013, grant agreement number 308329) of the European Commission. P. Kolp, D. Huppmann and M. Strubegger of IIASA provided critical assistance with MESSAGE-Transport model development. B. Girod (ETH-Zürich) helped with IMAGE model development. N. Lutsey of The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) referred us to the most up-to-date information on AFV-supporting policies at the time of writing.

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