An evidence based framework to assess the influence of positive personalized incentives on car use reduction

Abstract

This project is part of the Horizon2020 project EMPOWER. The main objective of EMPOWER is to substantially reduce the use of conventionally fuelled vehicles (CFV) in cities by influencing the mobility behaviour of CFV drivers and users towards fundamental change. To achieve this objective EMPOWER will help city stakeholders to choose and successfully implement ‘positive’ evidence- based incentives to ‘nudge’ travellers towards sustainable travel options. In this subproject, a behavioral segmentation model based on social- economic characteristics and individual travel patterns will be developed, which will serve as a tool to choose positive incentives per user segment. This model will be implemented in living-lab experiments to study which of these incentives (provided per segment through smartphone apps) are most effective in reducing car use. By evaluating living-lab experiments in the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden and Finland, it is explored how incentive schemes should take into account attitudes and differences therein between countries. Finally, the incentive scheme running on SMART (which is one of the apps) is validated by comparing living lab experimental results with simulations and a user evaluation study.

Contact: t.thomas@utwente.nl

Publications