Factors Affecting Disabled Consumer Preferences for an Electric Vehicle for Rural Mobility: An Italian Experimental Study

Abstract

Although it is often assumed that physically disabled individuals have different behaviors towards environment, there has been very little empirical evidence supporting this statement. For this reason, this study aimed to explain the different behaviors and preferences of potential users by analyzing their attitudes towards an electric vehicle specifically designed for rural mobility. In other words, this study analyzed both the willingness of disabled people to drive an electric vehicle and their willingness to pay (WTP) for such a vehicle. A total of 209 data were collected from a sample of physically disabled consumers in Italy using a structured questionnaire. Therefore, a stated preferences Italian dataset was used, and an exploratory factor analysis, a probit model, and an ordered logit regression model were applied. The results suggested that to encourage the use of electric cars for rural mobility, it should be necessary to manage environmental concerns, vehicle-related attributes, attitudes towards eco-friendly cars, people’s emotional experience, and their purchase intention. In addition, to improve customer intention, development plans and service features must be synergistically organized to mutually support each other.