The purpose of the study is to analyze the energy use of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), to compare their energy usage with other different vehicle technologies, and ultimately to determine their suitability for recreational use. The possibility of applying such vehicles into South Africa’s game reserves is researched in terms of energy costs and evaluated. Calculations were made based on actual existing routes found in the Kruger National Park, and are presently used by tourists for sightseeing and to access the different camps within the park. Calculations were made on the forces acting on a vehicle driving through the different routes and terrains. These forces were then translated into fuel or energy consumption and subsequently into fuel and energy prices. The entire exercise was performed on alternative vehicle technologies in a hypothetical scenario. The calculations investigated the energy consumption and efficiency of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) and other vehicle technologies such as fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and lastly the internal combustion engine (ICEV) vehicle. It was found that the energy consumption of each vehicle technology revealed similar trends and ranking on most routes. However on certain routes, the energy usage difference amongst the different vehicle technologies became more pronounced. This can be attributed to the continuous demand of energy by the vehicle to maintain forward motion. It was found that in general, irrespective of the route profile, the route surface or its total distance, the highest energy efficiency is achieved by the battery electric vehicle (BEV), followed by the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) and then by the combined hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and lastly by the internal combustion engine (ICEV) vehicle. / Electrical Engineering / M. Tech. (Electrical Engineering)

Thesis (MTech (Mechanical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / The high cost of fossil fuels and the fact that the world has arguably reached its peak oil production, has driven the need to seek alternative fuel sources. The main objective of the current study is to determine the performance of a laboratory-mounted diesel engine when fuelled with varying laboratory prepared biofuel and biodiesel and whether the advancement of the injection timing parameters will improve the engine power output and improve the smoke effect of these different fuel blends. The laboratory prepared biofuels used in this project range from 100% bio-fuel (BF100) to 50%, 30% and 10% biodiesel blends (BF50, BF30 and BF10, respectively). It should be noted that these blends are not commercially available, since they were blended in the laboratory specifically for these tests. The overall results of the study show that there is a distinct opportunity for using certain bio-fuel blends in specific applications as the power outputs are no more than one quarter less than that of base diesel. Concomitantly, the smoke opacity in all of the blends is lower than that of base diesel, which is a significant benefit in terms of their overall air emissions.

Alternative fuel types and technologies are increasingly being advocated for transportation needs to ameliorate concerns around energy security, climate change, and fuel cost. Each fuel type has unique advantages and disadvantages for cost structure and emissions. Meanwhile, corporate fleet customers are often making more sustainable choices of vehicle type due to public perception and other influencing factors. The sustainability of these vehicles can be viewed from a triple bottom line perspective of financial, environmental, and societal implications. However, there is currently a lack of organized knowledge that would allow a decision-maker to elect the appropriate vehicle type beyond lifecycle cost and carbon emissions. The simplification of the impact of fuel type choice disregards issues that are emerging in prominence around water consumption and public health. Water consumption is of particular importance to investigate as fuel types that have reduced carbon emissions are often more water intensive. This thesis develops a tool that examines these issues through modeling to provide a more holistic lifecycle view of a prospective fleet's impact. The choice of vehicle type then can be optimized by utility theory preference elicitation of the different customer desires. Various scenarios of corporate preference and fleet specifications are explored to provide case studies that exemplify the complexity of the decision process. Each potential scenario has its own characteristics that cannot be optimally fulfilled by an overarching fuel type but rather should be thoroughly examined individually to understand the true consequences.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 231-245)

With the increasing environmental problems, sustainable consumption is an important consumer behavior. Therefore, it is important to investigate further the significant drivers to and barriers against sustainable consumption, in order to increase the share of sustainable consumption and understanding of consumer behavior. This dissertation identifies two gaps. The first is in understanding consumer positive and negative anticipated emotions as an important factor influencing high-involvement sustainable consumption. The second gap relates to the lack of understanding about the associations between anticipated emotions and personal moral norms in high-involvement sustainable consumption. Against this background, the aim is to contribute to the sustainable consumption literature by investigating the roles and relations of anticipated emotions, personal moral norms, and weighing costs and benefits as drivers to and barriers against consumer adoption of a high-involvement sustainable product. A literature review and two empirical studies were conducted. Consumer adoption of alternative fuel vehicles is the specific sustainable consumption. Using quantitative methods, this phenomenon is investigated in the empirical studies conducted in Sweden. It was shown that anticipated emotions have direct effects on consumers' intention to adopt alternative fuel vehicles. Moreover, positive anticipated emotions (e.g. pride, pleasure, happiness) are drivers of sustainable consumption, while negative anticipated emotions (e.g. regret, embarrassment) are barriers against the sustainable consumption. This dissertation suggests an extension to the norm activation model, and shows that moral norms, ascription of responsibility, and awareness of environmental problems influence consumers' intentions through consumers’ anticipated emotions. For people who perceive high social norms related to decreasing the environmental impacts of car driving, the influence of positive anticipated emotions and personal moral norms are stronger. This points toward the social aspect of sustainable consumption and suggests that targeting the consumers who perceive high social norms is an important step to promoting sustainable consumption. Findings would be of relevance to marketers, policymakers and environmental organizations. Creating awareness and communicating personal responsibilities and moral norms related to the environment and consumption are important drivers for consumer adoption of sustainable products. However, it is noteworthy that consumer anticipated emotions about high-involvement sustainable products (such as alternative fuel vehicle) have also important influence on the sustainable consumption. Thus, consumer anticipated emotions should be considered in designing promotion programs.

To achieve the widespread diffusion of autonomous electric buses (AEBs) and thus harness their environmental potential, a broad acceptance of new technology-based mobility concepts must be fostered. Still, there remains little known about the factors determining their acceptance, especially in the combination of vehicles with alternative fuels and autonomous driving modes, as is the case with AEBs. In this study, we first conducted qualitative research to identify relevant factors influencing individual acceptance of autonomously driven electric buses. We then developed a comprehensive research model that was validated through a survey of 268 passengers of an AEB, operated in regular road traffic in Germany. The results indicate that a mix of individual factors, social impacts, and system characteristics determine an individual’s acceptance of AEBs. Notably, it is important that users perceive AEBs, not only as advantageous, but also trustworthy, enjoyable, and in a positive social light. Our research supplements the existing corpora by demonstrating the importance of individual acceptance and incorporating it to derive policy implications.

During the last years, many governments have set targets for increasing the share of biofuels in the transportation sector. Understanding consumer behavior is essential in designing policies that efficiently increase the uptake of cleaner technologies. In this paper we analyze adopters and non-adopters of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). We use diffusion of innovation theory and the established notion that the social system and interpersonal influence play important roles in adoption. Based on a nationwide database of car owners we analyze interpersonal influence on adoption from three social domains: neighbors, family and coworkers. The results point primarily at a neighbor effect in that AFV adoption is more likely if neighbors also have adopted. The results also point at significant effects of interpersonal influence from coworkers and family members but these effects weaken or disappear when income, education level, marriage, age, gender and green party votes are controlled for. The results extend the diffusion of innovation and AFV literature with empirical support for interpersonal influence based on objective data where response bias is not a factor. Implications for further research, environmental and transport policy, and practitioners are discussed.

<p>In this study, the effect of HEVs on traffic related pollution was assessed in the Hamilton CMA. This thesis aimed to combine findings from these two fields in a traffic simulation procedure. By introducing the HEVs in incremental levels to the vehicle travel pattern of more than 700,000 people in the study area, changes occurring in traffic related pollution at different levels were modeled.</p> <p>The hypothetical HEV spatial distribution patterns models were derived through negative binomial regression modeling based on 2006 census data and 2008 vehicle registration data. The distribution of predetermined number of HEVs throughout the Hamilton CMA was completed through these models and results were used to modify input OD matrices for the TRAFFIC program. The link-based emissions were calculated in combination with traffic emission factors for HEV.</p> <p>The results indicated that converting 10% of the total fleet into HEVs was needed to make significant reductions to the HC and CO aggregate emissions in all five models. An important finding with the incremental HEV penetration levels was the approximately linear trend between the percent reduction in the traffic emissions and the percent of HEVs in the total fleet. This trend allows calculations of approximate traffic emission reduction expected with any HEV level. The results illustrating links with more than 10% reduction in traffic emissions indicated that HEV technology as an effective method in dealing with environmental concerns.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Determinants influencing consumer eco-innovation adoption and green curtailment behaviors in a travel context are at the center of this thesis. Previous research on green consumer behavior has uncovered that internalized personal attitudinal factors such as values, beliefs, and norms are influential in determining mainly non-consumption and post-purchase behaviors. This thesis extends the understanding of a moral basis of green consumer behavior by exploring the influences of attitudinal factors on both car curtailment behaviors, and on consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation – the alternative fuel vehicle. The integrated influences of innovation specific characteristics, car habits, knowledge and social norms, are also examined. Furthermore, differences between AFV adopters and non-adopters are explored, and the notion of consumers performing purchase and curtailment behaviors for different reasons is utilized in the development of nuanced profiles of three distinct consumer groups. Four studies, which build on two quantitative data collections on adopters and non-adopters of AFVs in Swe­den, are included in this thesis. In the first study, similarities and differences among adopters and non-adopters of AFVs, and the effects of attitudinal factors (values, beliefs, and norms), knowledge, and sociodemo­graphics on the adoption decision are analyzed. The results show that knowledge and personal norms are strong predictors of AFV adoption and that the VBN theory is applicable in this context. The main implication from the study is that high-involvement green purchase deci­sions, such as eco-innovation adoption, can be viewed as morally based. In the second study, a set of determinants influencing both curtailment of car use and willing­ness to adopt a less environmentally harmful vehicle are analyzed. Biospheric values, per­sonal proenvironmental norms, and car habit strength are found to influence both types of behaviors in different ways. The main implication from this study is that green purchase deci­sions and curtailment behaviors within a specific context are determined by partly different factors but personal norm is a strong predictor of both types of behaviors. The third study extends the findings from the previous one in segmenting consumers on cur­tailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchases. Three distinct types of consumers emerge from the data. The Non-greens are found to exhibit the lowest levels of green attitudes and behaviors, and the strongest car habits. The Curtailers are distinguished by performing primar­ily reductionist behaviors, and by being the most willing to reduce negative environ­mental impact of car use. The Ecovators are found to be the most inclined to purchase eco-innovations and also display the greenest values. The study shows that green consumers are a heterogeneous group that can be separated on the basis of green curtailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchase decisions, and that there seems to be no inherent contradiction in being an early adopter of new green technology (such as the AFV) and also having high levels of proenviron­mental values, beliefs, and norms. In the final study, innovation specific characteristics and consumer innovativeness factors are integrated with normative and attitudinal determinants influencing AFV adoption. The results show that personal and social norms, consumer novelty seeking, and four perceived innovation characteristics influence the adoption decision. Differences between AFV adopters’ and non-adopters’ ratings of AFV specific attributes are also analyzed. The contribution of this study is the integration of VBN theory and the DOI framework and the empirical conclusion that eco-innovations need to deliver on both traditional and proenvironmental attributes in order to be perceived as attractive by consumers. In sum, this thesis demonstrates the importance of proenvironmental personal norms for consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation such as the AFV.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For companies, merely offering green products does not guarantee long-term market success (Hansen, Risborg & Steen, 2012). In many cases, consumers fail to act green despite stating that they intend to do so and having a positive attitude towards green behaviour. This is referred to as the attitude-action gap (Lane & Potter, 2007; Eckhardt, Belk & Devinney, 2010). What is required is a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons for green consumer behaviour, such as consumer values, in order to develop effective green marketing strategies (Hansen, 2008; Kim & Chung, 2011). The purpose of the research was to use Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) (1985) to study the link between the personal values of consumers and their attitudes and behaviour toward purchasing green vehicles in the South African market. It focused on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and, more specifically, hybrid and electric-drive vehicles (HEVs and EVs), since these are the only type of AFV currently available in the South African market. In addition, it investigated the role that subjective norm (SN) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) has on the intention to purchase AFVs. The analysis failed to find a significant relationship between the four higher-order values (self-enhancement, self-transcendence, openness to change and conservation) and attitude. In the case of openness to change and conservation, this was not entirely unexpected, but a lack of a significant relationship between self-enhancement, self-transcendence and attitude was an interesting result, which warrants further investigation, as the use of the ESS Human Value Scale as measurement instrument could be brought into question. The analysis also found significant relationships between attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control and behavioural intention. Of the three constructs, attitude was found to have the most significant impact on behavioural intention. These findings are in support of modern literature and emphasise: 1. that consumers do not rely on their values when forming an attitude towards AFVs and, thus, the marketing of AFVs should not rely on value-driven marketing, 2. that attitudinal factors has the biggest influence on intention, 3. that the perceived support and encouragement of referent others are important considerations for individuals, and 3. that control factors also play a critical role when consumers decide whether to purchase an AFV or not. The marketing of AFVs should thus focus on these three factors, including shaping attitudes, emphasising the role of referent others and informing consumers about control factors.