The Ohio State University
July 04, 2023, 11:00, Room GC B1 10 (click here for the map)
Strategies to achieve durable shifts toward more sustainable travel behavior should seek to both reduce car-centric lifestyles and to shift remaining car use to cleaner vehicle technologies. A key step toward the first goal is to incentivize reductions in household car ownership, which recognizes the interconnected nature of vehicle ownership with daily activity and travel patterns. In this presentation, Dr. Carrel will discuss how new forms of virtual working and shopping may not only lead to reduced household car ownership, but also, how technology-driven vehicle subscription services that cater to low-vehicle households may promote the use of electric vehicles. The findings are based on two separate studies conducted in the United States. The first study finds a possible association between travelers� levels of teleworking and online shopping on the one hand and mode use patterns on the other hand. A latent class analysis reveals a segment of the population that engages in high levels of such online activities while also being characterized by a comparatively low-car � but not car-free � lifestyle, thereby suggesting possible sustainability benefits of teleworking that go beyond the elimination of commute travel. The second study finds that short-term car subscription services, which allow households to reduce the number of permanently owned vehicles, can promote the use of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Analyses of data from a stated preference survey reveal that such services appeal to a segment of the population that is unwilling to commit to purchasing a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) but is open to subscribing to one, suggesting that subscription services could increase the number of BEVs on the road. In summary, this presentation argues that with appropriate policy guidelines, technology-based models of working, shopping, and owning vehicles can be leveraged to promote more sustainable travel behavior.
Dr. Andre L. Carrel is an associate professor of transportation at the Ohio State University (OSU) and the director of the OSU Travel Behavior Research Group. Dr. Carrel�s areas of expertise are travel demand forecasting, novel travel data collection technologies, and public transportation. Dr. Carrel�s current research focuses on modeling the dynamics of travel behavior, travelers' adaptation to experienced travel times and trip quality, the impact of vehicle electrification and automation on travel behavior, and interactions between information and communication technologies (e.g., online shopping and teleworking) and travel demand. His research leads to insights regarding factors that contribute to more sustainable travel choices, which allow decision-makers to plan and design cities, transportation services, and travel-related products that meet travelers� needs while improving the sustainability of the transportation system. Dr. Carrel is jointly appointed in Civil Engineering and City and Regional Planning and is a core faculty member of the OSU Translational Data Analytics Institute. His academic experience spans both passenger transportation and logistics. Dr. Carrel holds a Dipl.-Ing. from ETH Zurich, an MS degree from MIT, and a PhD degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and was a postdoctoral associate at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics.