The research project ECO-CARS is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the context of the new research grant programme "Economic Sciences for Sustainability". The aim of the programme is, on the one hand, to enhance sustainability research by adopting realistic economic approaches and, on the other hand, to give economic research a new direction inspired by a policy of sustainability.

A network and synthesis of the 15 research projects being funded is to lay the groundwork for an internationally visible economy of sustainability in Germany.

Project Topic:

• Analysing the purchase decision of consumers regarding passenger cars with eco friendly propulsion technologies /energy sources.
• Developing a microsimulation model taking into account all relevant externalities (environmental and network externalities, R&D spillovers).
• Simulating the effects of different policy instruments and measures on the purchase decisions of the consumers.

Methodology:

• CAPI (computer aided personal interviews) and online interviews on the basis of a "stated preference" approach.
• Identification of determinants relevant for the purchase decisions of consumers using multinomial discrete choice models (Logit, Probit, mixed models).
• Monte Carlo experiments for the evaluation of the different discrete choice models.
• Static and dynamic partial equilibrium modeling.
• Numerical implementation of the dynamic partial equilibrium model.