The debate over electric vehicles (EVs) pivots largely on issues of market demand: will consumers purchase a vehicle that provides substantially less driving range, yet can be refueled at home, than an otherwise comparable gasoline vehicle? Also, what role do other unique attributes of EVs play...

Previous studies of the potential market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have reached contradictory conclusions. What they share are untested or implausible assumptions about consumer response to new transportation technology. We frame the BEV purchase decision in terms of a household's...