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AbstractAs an energy-efficient transportation innovation, hybrid vehicles (HVs) have the potential to minimize carbon emissions and address environmental issues. The study is novel as it presents significant theoretical contributions within the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework. Firstly, it integrates the perceived seriousness of environmental problems as a predictor, enhancing understanding of individual responses to environmental concerns. Secondly, it expands the TPB model by introducing willingness to pay for HVs as a moderator, acknowledging the economic aspect of adopting environmentally friendly technologies. These additions enrich the TPB framework, offering insights into the interplay between psychological determinants and economic considerations in behavior change. The study therefore aims to extend the TPB by incorporating two key elements: perceived seriousness of environmental issues and willingness to pay for HVs. We find that perceived seriousness of problems in the environmental has positive impact on attitude toward adoption of HVs, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions to adopt and actual use of HVs. TPB constructs have positive impact on intentions to adopt and actually use HVs. Moreover, intentions to adopt HVs also positively influence the actual use of HVs. Moreover, the results show that the serial mediations are also in play, whereby perceived seriousness of environmental issues influences TPB constructs, which influence intentions to adopt HV which in turn influence the actual use of HVs. We also find that willing to pay for HVs plays an enhancing role as a moderator in the TPB model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that climate change is caused by human activities. This case study presents findings on the vehicle use by the Department of Health in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng province, South Africa. The objectives of this study are to estimate the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of government fleet vehicles and to identify mitigation measures to reduce the vehicle carbon emissions. Both the World Resource Institute Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) and the United Kingdom Department of Environmental Forestry and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) methodologies were used. The study revealed that the government fleet vehicles emitted 1362 t CO2e for a five year period (2010 − 2014), which is equivalent to $ 9 071 of the South African carbon tax. Various measures to reduce CO2e emissions were recommended, money saving from fuel and potential revenue generating opportunities were identified, including the use of hybrid vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A revolution is underway in transportation, with a variety of electric vehicles rapidly coming to the fore. The switch from internal combustion engines to electric motors will change the world in many ways and is expected to help reduce the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Inspired by this vision, leaders in China, France, and Britain have all proclaimed that they will effectively ban cars that aren’t electric by about 2040, while Volvo says all of its vehicles will be powered by electric motors in a few years. Other automakers have also announced that they are headed that way. But how far along is this revolution really? What challenges still need to be overcome to gain truly widespread acceptance on a scale that can combat climate change? Will the costs and the benefits of these new vehicles be equally spread among countries and companies? And while we all benefit in the long term, who will be the winners and the losers in our short-term world where Wall Street thinking predominates? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fuel-speed curves (FSC) are used to account for the aggregate effects of congestion on fuel consumption in transportation scenario analysis. This paper presents plausible FSC for conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and for advanced vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles, fully electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) using a fuel consumption model with transient driving schedules and a set of 145 hypothetical vehicles. The FSC shapes show that advanced power train vehicles are expected to maintain fuel economy (FE) in congestion better than ICE vehicles, and FE can even improve for EV and FCV in freeway congestion. In order to implement these FSC for long-range scenario modeling, a bounded approach is presented which uses a single congestion sensitivity parameter. The results in this paper will assist analysis of the roles that vehicle technology and congestion mitigation can play in reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]