Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
These data will be translated in an average number of kilometers driven on these
trips because an agent has to drive a fixed number of km's , and an estimation of how
often these trips are made (an agent cannot drive 1-10 km, but we parameterize this as
5 km). In figure 4 we show the individual score of a respondent translated in a unique
empirical based “driving fingerprint” of the agent.
Table 4.
The individual “driving fingerprint” of an agent
100 times/year
24 times/year
2 times/year
0 times/year
0 km
*
5 km
*
25 km
*
75 km
*
150 km
*
350 km
*
800 km
*
Given the range of a car it can be calculated how often it has to be fueled/charged.
For example, given a range of 100 km of an electric car, a charging time (including
detour) of 30 minutes & the transportation profile of the above respondent we con-
clude that this usage pattern with this electric car results in 28 trips a year over 100
km that require 30 minutes of charging during the trip: total charging time on-the-road
= 14 hours charging a year. The same usage pattern with a fuel car with a range of
800 km results in 2 trips a year that require 5 minutes of tanking during a trip: total
charging time on-the-road = 0.16 hours a year.
Obviously also financial costs play an important role in the existence need. Of par-
ticular interest are price differences in the purchase of electric versus fuel cars (for
which data are available), prices of fuel and electricity (scenarios can be developed),
and ownership type, as in the case of lease the bulk of costs will be the responsibility
of the employer.
The importance of this existence need can be indicated by the answer on the ques-
tion how acceptable different charging times at different locations are. For example, a
respondent could indicate that charging at the highway should not take more than 15
minutes to be on the acceptable side. Also income and costs for the current mobility
pattern will be used as indicators of the importance of the existence need.
This existence need combined with importance allows for calculating the impact of
different types of vehicles on this existence satisfaction. We can compare how differ-
ent types of cars, innovations concerning the range and charging speed of electric
cars, and changes in the costs of mobility would impact the existence satisfaction of
individual agents representing the respondents in the survey. In simulating the dynam-
ics of innovation diffusion it thus is important to be capable of determining the impact
of this innovation (even if it is incremental such as range) on individual agents.
Whether an individual agent adopts a new product or not will also have an impact on
other agents. This is related to the social needs of agents.
