Abstract
Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) was applied to assess Japanese consumer preferences for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Although BEVs are still unfamiliar to most of the Japanese consumers, BWS has advantages in obtaining rich information on preferences by identifying “best” and “worst” options. An online questionnaire survey was conducted and 448 samples of Japanese consumers who drove regularly were collected. BWS object case and multi-profile case were both applied in this study. Results of BWS object case revealed that purchase price was the most important factor. In addition, operation cost and driving range were important factors. Conversely, the reduction of carbon dioxide and air pollutants were less important factors. BWS multi-profile case revealed that different scenarios for operation cost, yen/100 km and annual saving, were both valued properly by respondents. Random parameter logit estimates of multi-profile case demonstrated the preference heterogeneity of every attributes of BEVs. The results suggest that consumer preferences and purchasing behaviors are much diverse. More public programs and companies’ efforts to reduce the vehicle price and to inform the environmental advantages adequately are necessary to promote the diffusion of BEVs in Japan.
