Consortium Meeting, Graz (27. – 28.10.2010)

Jutta Deffner

WP3 - Proceedings

Exploring the societal acceptance of ZEM (T 3.1.3)

• Aim: exploit societal acceptance, driving factors and hindrances of the implementations

• Benefits for project and project partners: 1. Insight in local mindset of public opinions on zero emission

mobility

2. Insight in opinions on project implementation to adapt design of implementation that it is accepted/used

3. Input to transferability study

Exploring the societal acceptance: Methods

• Focus group or individual in-depth interviews– Structured discussion/interview with a selected group of

individuals to gain information from various perspectives about views and experiences of a topic

– Group setting stimulates participants to articulate ideas, beliefs and experiences that would be less accessible otherwise

– To investigate issues which are not familiar to a broader public. – Focus groups enable a researcher to gain a larger amount of

information in a shorter period of time than by carrying out individual interviews

– Common methods in social science and market research

Exploring views of ZEM: Topics

• How is zero emission mobility perceived among prospective users in the REZIPE partner cities?

• What do people already know about e-mobility, in which fields do they feel unsure, uninformed?

• What expectations do people have towards trial vehicles, support schemes, purchase promotion?

• What do the specific target groups of the implementations expect?• Which different views exist concerning the ownership of EV: For

whom is renting an EV a possible option? For whom is buying an EV attractive? Under which conditions?

• What do the target groups need (in terms of information, P&R, introduction, training) that they want to use/try out vehicles?

„Trendy, agile, speedy and it feels like flying!“Aceptance and attractivness of Pedelecs and eScooters

for the Upper Austrian Administration employees

First results of a focus group discussion in Linz

Jutta Deffner, Barbara Birzle-Harder

Oktober 2010

Study Design

• Conduction of one focus group in Linz– 15 participants– Duration: 2 hours

• Group: – 12 men, 3 women– All are employed at the Upper Austrian Administration– All are interested in buying a Pedelec or eScooter via the

collective purchase action of the administration

Objectives and research questions

• To explore peoples opinions and knowledge about e-mobility and on particular on driving, using, loading

• To explore participants motivation and concerns• To explore peoples needs regarding collective

purchases, in particular– Information– Selection of vehicles– Loading/parking at office

First spontaneous associations „electric mobility“

Range?

Clean, but where comes energy from?

Limited battery capacity

How to load?Where to laod(parking)?

Wunderful quiet – too quiet?

Environmental friendly- air improvment- independent form fossil fuels

Long term cost effective

„No stinky scooters anymore!“

Overnight loading at home

Spontaneous interest and good will, but also many questions

Future oriented – overexagerated

hype?

Enables older and weak persons to be mobile

Open questions and requirements – a sign of a differentiated picture

• How is it with…?– range

– exeleration

• How does loading work?– Esp. In tenement blocks?

• E-Bikes only make sense if one reduces car use– Contraproductive of cyclists

would only use ebikes

• Attractive: „To set a pole against car use, to convert car freaks“

• Invest more in research and development– Austria is THE place, because

of water power• „It is a huge innovation step for us. The only

problem is the bad battery storgage. But I think thtat the government puts in not enough money. Envrionmental protection, independence of fossil fuels, there is so much but who takes the money and we would be 100 steps further.“

Almost all who tried a pedelec are keen on it

• Important for success of Pedelec & Co - own experience– „It is very important for awareness. Because for many it is not to imagine

how good you move“– „It is almost like a drug . You feel good. I only can encourage anyone to try it

out once.“– „It is a dream. Up to Grünberg (village) I am faster like the bus“– „trendy, agile, speedy and it is like flying!“

• … and mouth to mouth propaganda – People who tried it, are convinced and tell others in their social network– „It is the effect of tail wind. Certainly, the bikes are heavy, but in reality it

gives you a lot of tail wind, that you can drive hills and mountains you never thought you will, where you said: no, this I don‘t make, I have to walk.“

New target groups and a positive image

• Pedelecs reach new target groups away from todays cyclists– Only in my social network I know 4 persons living in the rural area,

they shifted to pedelecs because without it they would not be able to to cycle at all.“

• A promising market– „As an alternative to the car and to get to work , I think it has a big

future“

Possible uses for Pedelecs

• Individually very different possibilities:Work context:– Die ganze Strecke von zu Hause bis zum Arbeitsplatz (teilweise

über 20 km) damit zurücklegen– „Bisher war das an der Grenze der Belastbarkeit, so ein

Elektromotor würde mir einiges unterstützen“ – Statt mit der Fahrgemeinschaft lieber individuell– Zum Bus / Bahnhof / Park Ride und dann mit Öffentlichen weiter

Only for private use:– Besorgungen und Geschäftsgänge am Wohnort, da sehr hügelig– Für den Partner/die Partnerin, nicht für einen selbst (da

überzeugter Fahrradfahrer)

• But: pedelecs cannot replace the car totally– Winter, bad weather you need a car …

Financial promotion schemes for Pedelec & Co?

• Sinnvoll einen Anreiz zu setzen– einerseits für Vorreiter neuer

Verkehrsmittel, zu denen es noch kaum Erfahrungen gibt

– andererseits für eine kombinierte Mobilität, z.B. mit dem Pedelec zu Park & Ride, dort Umstieg in Öffentliche

• Motiviert auch „weniger Begüterte“ umzusteigen, die sich das nur mit Förderung leisten können

• Entscheidend für viele bei der Anschaffungsüberlegung:

– Wie hoch ist der Nachlass? Lohnt es sich jetzt einzusteigen oder zu warten bis die Preise sowieso fallen

• Fehlende Notwendigkeit / nicht einzusehen, dass von Seiten des Dienstgebers eine Förderung kommt

• Keine Förderung für Pedelecs, die privat genutzt werden, nur für beruflich genutzte Fahrzeuge

– Für den Weg zur Arbeit– Für Wege während der Arbeit

YES! NO!

Questions and short discussion

Suggestions for further steps: Klagenfurt

• Option: Focus group/interviews in Klagenfurt with interested test users of the demonstration vehicles

• When: after the test vehicles run a few weeks (spring 2011?)

• How: recruiting of test drivers at the charging station for an interview, conducted by ISOE

• Support needed by City of Klagenfurt– Recruiting of drivers– Location (room) for focus group/interviews

Suggestions for further steps: Györ

• Option: Focus group or interviews in Györ with interested public in Györ

• When: Nov/Dec. 2010 or January 2011• How: interviewer/facilitator and analysing from ISOE

(native speaker)• Support needed by PBN:

– Recruiting participants? – are there info days or similar?– Location (room) and drinks for discussion/interviews– Co-facilitation of focus group discussion (1 day)– Audio transcript of discussion/interviews

Suggestions for further steps: Bozen

• Option: Focus group in Bozen with actual pedelec users about experiences in everyday use, pros, cons, expectations what municipality could improve infrastructure for e-mobility

• When: soon• How: ISOE subcontracts Ecoinstituto

– for recruiting and conduction, no effort needed by Commune Bolzano

– Negotiations with Ecoinstituto about: location of focus group, recruiting, facilitation, audio transcript and first analyses

– If wanted: co-facilitation by ISOE (possible only German)