Eco-driving? - A discrete choice experiment on valuation of car attributes

Abstract: To elicit the value that car consumers place upon environmental concerns when purchasing a car, a certain type of Discrete Choice Modelling called Choice Experiment was used. The Choice Experiment includes the four car attributes safety, carbon dioxide emissions, acceleration and annual cost. The survey was sent to a random sample of 1500 people in Sweden between 25 and 50 years of age in October 2006. The data collected was incorporated in a binomial logit model from which the coefficients of the utility function for cars were estimated. Both the estimated values of Willingness to Pay and the Marginal Rates of Substitution gave indications that the private goods safety and acceleration are higher valued than a genuine public bad such as carbon dioxide emissions. The result also showed that the design of the Choice Experiment can have impact on the values obtained.