EV-Flex: Testing Customer Price Sensitivity to Accept Managed Charging of their Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) could play a critical role in decarbonizing the transportation sector. Decarbonization will only take place, however, if the EVs get their electricity from low- or zero-carbon sources of electricity. In the short-term, an attractive way of reducing carbon emissions may be to encourage customers to charge their vehicles at times when the supply of electricity relies on relatively low-carbon generators. Working with Centre for Net Zero, an impact-driven research unit founded by Octopus Energy, the researchers will design and implement a field experiment to quantify the environmental impacts and cost-effectiveness of encouraging customers to charge their vehicles when the supply of electricity is less polluting. The researchers will also examine the welfare impacts of this scheme from the perspective of society and consumers. Finally, the experimental design will provide insight into the optimal subsidy to encourage EV owners to change their charging habits.