Craig Morton

Consumer structure in the emerging market for electric vehicles: Identifying market segments using cluster analysis

ABSTRACT This paper presents results from a segmentation analysis of the emerging market for Electric Vehicles (EVs). Data has been sourced through the application of a self-completion household questionnaire distributed over two cities in the United Kingdom (UK). A two stage cluster analysis methodology has been followed to identify market segments in a dataset of UK drivers. Five unique segments have been identified in the analysis and are characterised by their preferences for EVs, socio-economic characteristics, current car details, and psychographic profiles. These segments hold a range of different EV preference levels, from those who appear unwilling to adopt an EV to those which are clearly attracted to EVs. Moreover, the features of these segments suggest that segments might be attracted to or repelled from EVs for different reasons. These results demonstrate that a significant degree of consumer stratification is present in the emerging market for EVs, with the possible implication being that policy interventions at the segment as opposed to market, level may prove more effective due to their ability to cater for the nuances of important segments.

Exploring the expectations of transport professionals concerning the future automobility system: Visions, challenges, and transitions

ABSTRACT A mixture of potentially significant changes in technology, commercial structures, and social practices is currently entering the automobility system. These changes have the potential to combine together and lead to a substantial shift in the manner in which society fuels, owns, and makes use of its cars. This paper reports a research project that made use of focus groups to examine the narratives of British transport professionals concerning forthcoming developments in the automobility system. Specific attention was given to what the expectations for future change in automobility are, if these changes will likely lead to a transition toward a more sustainable system and the manner in which a transition of this nature could be facilitated. The oral testimony offered during the focus groups has been assessed qualitatively using thematic analysis. The results suggest that there is a commonly held view that the automobility system is entering a stage of flux, which may lead to considerable changes in system configuration. However, the attainment of a sustainable transition for the system will likely be inhibited by a series of institutional, societal, and physical barriers, which may restrict system developments.

The constrained governance of socio-technical transitions: Evidence from electric mobility in Scotland

Electric Vehicles (EVs) embody a number of technical innovations which have the capacity to make substantial contributions to prominent societal objectives associated with improving energy security, increasing energy efficiency, promoting low-carbon mobility and reducing local air pollution. Fostering a transition to an electric mobility (e-mobility) personal transport system represents a strategic aim of most economically developed nations and is a central feature of the European Commission’s vision of an integrated and sustainable transport system. For this vision to be achieved, EVs will need to overcome formidable barriers associated with structural lock-ins to the existing internal combustion engine vehicle, technical deficiencies linked to EV attributes, citizen preference for proven technologies and the embedded interests of system agents. This chapter outlines how the transition to an e-mobility personal transport system is being managed in Scotland by evaluating the governance structure which has been established to support the uptake of EVs. This governance structure is considered in terms of the strategic, tactical and operational activities which aim to facilitate the e-mobility transition and the role of reflexive governance in evaluating the progress so far made. Specific attention is paid to how the agency of the Scottish Government is constrained in its ability to manage the transition due to the defined authority of the government and the local circumstances of Scotland.

Mobility Series: Key Ideas in Geography

In recent years, mobility has come to be renowned as a buzz word amongst social science research and has become a hot topic outside academia. Immigration, transport and the economy are but some of the issues with which mobility plays a vital role. Mobility then is a timely addition to the growing mobilities literature and manages to successfully introduce the reader to the key debates and issues which have arisen so far. The book is divided into five main sections which can be read individually, but read in its entirety the reader can appreciate the relational aspect of mobility which figures as a main theme of the book. The first section introduces mobility as a fundamental process of everyday life, from waking up in the morning or driving to work but also inclusive of less tangible concepts: ‘. . .tourism to migration, . . . transport to communications, at multiple scales and hierarchies, all depend upon mobility’, (2009:11). Moving on to the second section, ‘Meanings’, Adey concisely introduces the reader to the key theoretical discussions on mobility that have emerged from different subject positions. Notably, Adey’s narrative relating to the subjective experience of the flanêur compared to the consumer and the tourist assist to ground the more abstract discussions between nomadism and sedentarism. The third section, ‘Politics’, starts with the premise that all mobility is political and not universal. To appreciate that not everyone moves in the same way, or has the same ability to move, the reader is directed to question the allocation of mobile resources across society. Of particular note is the example offered by the evacuation of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 which exhibited a distinct racial divide in citizens’ mobility out of the city. A key strength of this book lies in the fourth section, ‘Practices’, which deals with the doing, performance and practice of mobilities. Discussing key ideas such as non-representational theory leads Adey to convincingly argue that there are certain aspects of mobility that are not easily conveyed through traditional research methods. Emotions, feelings and other less tangible attributes of mobility help to visualise mobility as a multi-sensory process. The final section, ‘Mediations’, uses some novel examples to reinforce the principle idea of mobility as a relation. The spread of the SARS virus internationally is introduced as a case study to visualise how mobilities can carry other mobilities, i.e. people mobilising the disease on long-haul flights. As well as case studies peppering the book to help link theory with practice, the book is also peppered with short ‘Key Ideas’ and ‘Mobile Method’ segments. The ‘Key Ideas’ allow Adey to explore important philosophical contributions to the field of mobility research such as Deleuze and Guattari’s ‘nomad science’ (2009:59) and Bourdieu’s ‘Habitus’ (2009:140). Succinctly summarising these complex volumes into neat boxes provides a helpful starting point for further reading. The ‘Mobile Method’ segments similarly review both novel and more traditional ways of doing mobility research, providing suggestions to apply to your own research. Through publication in the ‘Key Ideas in Geography Series,’ an idea of the importance and significance of mobility research to geographical study is given. However, it should be noted that Adey is conscious to not pigeon-hole mobility as a discrete geographical discipline and he successfully articulates mobility as being inherently interdisciplinary. This is also reflected in Scottish Geographical Journal Vol. 127, No. 4, 335–340, December 2011