Needs, requirements and attitudes of specific commercial sectors in Denmark, Austria and Germany with respect to the use of electric vehicles in commercial transport

Abstract

The significant share of commercially induced movements in urban transport and the amount of air pollution and noise produced by the commercial transport – these are issues of rising attention. Various actors search for sustainable solutions for urban commercial transport. Due to their usually short distances, and very often homogenous daily trip patterns, commercial trips make for an excellent use case for electrification. Test fleets are often dedicated to private car ownership or to limited areas. The aim of this paper is to present results from empirical analysis in commercial transport in Austria, Denmark and Germany with special emphasis to attitudes and preferences of companies of different commercial sectors towards electric mobility. The research was conducted in the project “Suitable Electromobility for Commercial Transport” (SELECT). A web-based survey was conducted in Austria, Denmark and Germany to reveal the requirements of companies concerning their commercial transport and mobility needs. Furthermore, survey participant were asked to state their attitudes towards electric mobility. Out of 50,000 contacted companies 1,200 responses were gained. The paper will show that more than half of the participating companies report average tour length of less than fifty kilometres. There is a big share of companies reporting that all tours conducted are shorter than 100 kilometres. Among all participants a high acceptance of electric mobility in commercial transport could be seen. The analysis of the survey results reveals areas of relevance for the development of recommendations to raise the use of electric mobility in commercial transport. It will be shown that connecting the needs of companies open to deploying electric vehicles with the positive attitudes of decision makers is a central element in fostering the use of electric mobility in urban commercial transport.