Suggested Citation:
Bunch, David S., Debapriya Chakraborty, David Brownstone (2024)

Brief: Household Vehicle Choice in California: Behavior and Impacts

. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Brief UCD-ITS-RR-24-26

Abstract:

To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector, government programs and regulations are encouraging a transition from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), collectively referred to as plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). California has targets of having 5 million PEVs and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles on the road by 2030, and 100% of new vehicle sales being zero-emission by 2035. An increasing diversity of vehicle types, paired with a growing demand for PEVs, has major implications for vehicle miles traveled (VMT), air pollution, and emissions. To better understand what is likely to happen,  researchers predict household vehicle preference and VMT by vehicle body and fuel type. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications.