FUEL-EFFICIENT VEHICLE

Fuel-Efficient Vehicle and Adoption Rate

Contents

Introduction2

Research Problem3

Background of Problem4

Research Design7

Research Methodology7

Objectives8

Literature Review8

Research Instrument13

Interview Reports16

Data Analysis & Research Findings18

Ethical Implications21

Budget Structure22

Conclusion22

References24

Appendix25

Fuel-Efficient Vehicle and Adoption Rate

Introduction

Climate is a construct that represents the statistical ensemble of factual or possible meteorological situations on Earth. It aggregates local weather conditions on different temporal and spatial scales up to the global dimension. In the last century, mean surface temperatures rose globally. Consequences of global warming may be manifold and might worsen in future, depending upon underlying climate models and emission scenarios. Respective impacts vary on systemic, regional, and temporal scales. Climate change may affect all of humankind and is therefore an issue of global justice. As the role of greenhouse gases in the warming of our atmosphere have become better understood and the ramifications clearer, significant attention has been devoted to the issue of greenhouse gas emissions.

Although the science of the greenhouse effect and the global effect that increasing atmospheric densities of greenhouse gases would have on our climate has long been understood, more localized pollution sources in automobile sector dominate the national and global policy regarding pollution control. The ubiquity of gasoline engines has profound effects on the natural environment (Santin, 2007). In the first instance, drilling for crude oil, from which gasoline is derived, has left a trail of tarnished ecological landscapes and political and economic situations that call into question justice and peace. To address this issue, considerable advancements have been done in the product offering by automobile sectors. Companies are now focusing on offering fuel-efficient vehicles that have minimal impact on the environment. Emergence of hybrid technology has enabled the companies to redesign their goals towards fuel-efficient vehicles offering (Gao et al, 2011).

Alternative energy is derived from sources that are renewable, do not use up natural resources or harm the environment, or can replace fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and oil.

Consumers' willingness to buy fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles is influenced by numerous factors. US Government has typically reformed its command-and-control (CAC) regulation and market-based incentives to resolve the inefficiencies of environment protection and promote fuel-efficient vehicle adoption. It is essential to determine the current status of fuel-efficient vehicle in US and factors that determine the adoption rate of hybrid vehicles in country (Santin, 2007).

Increasing orientation of agencies towards environment protection has propelled the consumers towards using eco-friendly products. Since vehicles are high involvement product, therefore significant factors play an important role in determining the acceptance of latest technology innovation in the form of hybrid vehicles in automobile sector (Anderson, 2010). This study aims at exploring the current status of dimensional aspects of mechanisms that influence the adoption of fuel-efficient vehicles in US.

Research Problem

Fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from the personal transportation sector promise to be key challenges facing the next generation of policy makers. In 1999, transportation became the largest end-use producer of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels in the United States. Gasoline-powered vehicles are responsible for about 60% of the carbon from the transportation sector (Nieuwenhuis, 2010). They also emit the majority of carbon monoxide, as well as substantial proportions of oxides of nitrogen and ...