Electric Vehicle Adoption and Use in Rural and Urban Utah

Details

• Creators:
  Singleton, Patrick A. ; Mandolakani, Fariba Soltani ; Paskett, Aleks C. ; Bouck, William
• Corporate Creators:
  Utah State University. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Utah. Department of Transportation. Research and Innovation Division ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Automobile Ownership Electric Vehicle Charging Electric Vehicles Ridesourcing Rural Areas Technology Adoption Travel Behavior Travel Surveys Urban Areas
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  Utah. Dept. of Transportation. Division of Research
• Abstract:
  This research project sought to better understand factors affecting electric vehicle (EV) adoption, use, and charging behaviors in Utah, and any differences between urban and rural areas. To accomplish this goal, three key datasets were used: Utah’s 2023 household travel survey, 2015–2024 Utah vehicle registrations by county, and a 2021–2023 survey of “gig” drivers (who work for ride hailing and delivery companies) about EVs. Several key outcomes were studied: EV registrations, household vehicle ownership and EV adoption, daily travel behaviors, charging behaviors, and gig driver EV perceptions and preferences. Following literature reviews and statistical analyses, the research team identified explanatory factors and differences in EV adoption, use, and charging behavior between urban and rural parts of Utah. EV adoption in Utah is increasing among registered vehicles, especially in rural areas and for light trucks. Utah travel survey data analysis indicated relatively few differences in the factors influencing the travel behaviors of EV-owning and non-EV households. Instead, EV-specific travel and charging behavior results suggest that rural EV users (residents and visitors) are more strategic about their use and charging of EVs, whereas urban EV users can be more opportunistic. These findings suggest that public EV charging is important, especially in rural areas. Analysis of gig driver surveys found Salt Lake City to have lower EV adoption than other cities in the western US, suggesting needs around EV leasing options, targeted marketing, and public EV charging in urban areas, to help facilitate electrification of the gig driving sector.
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:accf4e8e790a9699f3129926b1aaca250c2d033f1f719eaa02289d162f628b2ee22770296dd5525c100246539269888c326dabc776c8551cd8b6c2614d481c74
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/92002/dot_92002_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.91 MB ]