NCEE Seminar: The Electric Vehicle Rebound Effect

Virtual Seminar
Washington, DC 20460
United States

Contact: Ann Wolverton, 202-566-2278 (wolverton.ann@epa.gov)

Presenters: Beia Spiller, Resources for the Future 

Description: 

This paper investigates the existence of rebound effects in annual miles driven for electric vehicle owners. Electric vehicles lower the cost-per-mile for automobile operation and could cause owners to increase their annual mileage to levels that negate any cost savings or emissions reductions goals that motivated the initial purchase. However, for households that own multiple vehicles, an electric vehicle may displace vehicle miles traveled from the gasoline-fueled vehicles, thereby helping to reduce even further the environmental impact of driving. Utilizing vehicle-level panel registration and inspection data in Massachusetts, we estimate the rebound effect and the total change in household level driving patterns after the introduction of an electric vehicle into the household. We allow this effect to vary depending on whether the electric vehicle replaces another vehicle or is added to the household's fleet of vehicles.

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