nep-tre New Economics Papers
on Transport Economics
Issue of 2023‒08‒21
nine papers chosen by
Erik Teodoor Verhoef
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

  1. Do Slow Streets Encourage More Dockless Travel? Evidence from Electric Scooter Usage in Four Cities By Boarnet, Marlon G; Lee, Seula; Gross, James; Thigpen, Calvin
  2. A Regional Analysis of Electric LDV Portfolio Choices by Vehicle Manufacturers By Aditya Ramji; Hanif Tayarani
  3. E-bike Incentive Programs Reduce GHGs and Support Recreational Travel By Fitch-Polse, Dillon; Johnson, Nicholas; Handy, Susan
  4. Korea's problems with electric vehicle subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act By Chad P. Bown
  5. Commuting in dual-earner households: International Gender Differences with Time Use Surveys By Echeverría, Lucía; Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio; Molina, José Alberto
  6. Rebuilding Ukraine’s Infrastructure after the War By Iryna Kosse
  7. Back to Edgeworth? Estimating the Value of Time Using Hedonic Experiences By Krekel, Christian; MacKerron, George
  8. The Model T By Shari Eli; Joshua K. Hausman; Paul Rhode
  9. How does fuel demand respond to price changes? Quasi-experimental evidence based on high-frequency data By M. ADAM; O. BONNET; E. FIZE; T. LOISEL; M. RAULT; L. WILNER

  1. By: Boarnet, Marlon G; Lee, Seula; Gross, James; Thigpen, Calvin
    Abstract: In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities across the US reallocated street spaces for active transportation such as walking, bicycling, and scootering, including by electric bikes and scooters. Slow Streets, projects that limit through-traffic access for motor vehicles to provide a safer space for other travelers, were implemented at an unprecedented speed and scale. This analysis of pandemic-era Slow Street dockless electric scooter (e-scooter) use offers insights that may assist decisionmakers. A research team at the University of Southern California collaborated with Lime, an e-scooter company, to analyze Slow Streets programs in the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Portland. Using two statistical approaches, they examined dockless e-scooter travel at four different times of day and overall weekly and monthly averages of dockless e-scooter trips. This policy brief summarizes the findings from that research and provides policy implications. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Before and after studies, COVID-19, Scooters, Travel behavior, Urban design
    Date: 2023–08–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt592274zf&r=tre
  2. By: Aditya Ramji; Hanif Tayarani
    Abstract: Global light duty electric vehicle (EV) sales exceeded 10.5 million units in 2022, with a year-on-year growth of 55%, but these trends differ regionally. Despite the robust growth, upfront purchase price remains a challenge for consumers in different regions, and thus, OEMs make technology choices to respond to market needs. This paper examines the electrification portfolio choices of three major automotive manufacturers (OEMs) in different regions of the world, including Europe, Americas, Asia Pacific, and Africa/Middle-East. The analysis focuses on trends in dominant segments for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), as well as battery chemistry choices. Regional differences show a trend towards SUVs for both BEVs and PHEVs. Tesla's dominance in the BEV market influences battery chemistry choices. Average battery sizes for BEVs remain similar in Europe and Americas, but lower in Asia Pacific and Africa/Middle East.
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2307.03808&r=tre
  3. By: Fitch-Polse, Dillon; Johnson, Nicholas; Handy, Susan
    Abstract: Local and state electric bike (e-bike) incentive programs offering point-of-sale or post-sale monetary discounts to consumers have been implemented across the United States since 2018. As yet, however, little is known about their effectiveness in changing travel behavior. To understand the outcomes of these incentive programs, UC Davis researchers analyzed survey data from rebate recipients in Northern California two months and one year after they acquired e-bikes. The rebate programs were evaluated for effects of e-bike ownership on travel behavior, including changes in bicycling, driving, and use of transit, and on greenhouse gas emissions. The team also suggest areas for future research. View the NCST Project Webpage
    Keywords: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Electric bicycles, Incentives, Ownership, Travel behavior
    Date: 2023–08–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt0bk6b8j1&r=tre
  4. By: Chad P. Bown (Peterson Institute for International Economics)
    Abstract: South Korea felt "betrayed" when President Joseph R. Biden Jr. signed his administration's flagship climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, into law. This paper first shows how the Biden administration addressed Korea's concerns about the law's effect on its sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. Thanks in part to the Treasury Department's regulations written to implement the law, Korean exports of EVs to the United States grew even after the IRA went into force. Whether these actions by the Biden administration are enough to assuage the concerns of the Koreans--and other allies adversely affected by the IRA--remains to be seen. Furthermore, the US accommodation of Korean concerns came with tradeoffs by offsetting key incentives Congress may have intended in passing the IRA. The paper examines the potential impact of the law on South Korean battery companies, and it provides an initial exploration into how the Korean government responded to the IRA by adjusting its own policy mix of EV consumer tax credits and industrial policy for its EV plants and battery makers.
    Keywords: Electric vehicles, batteries, industrial policy, supply chains, climate, US, United States, South Korea
    JEL: L52 F13
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iie:wpaper:wp23-6&r=tre
  5. By: Echeverría, Lucía; Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio; Molina, José Alberto
    Abstract: Prior literature analyzing gender differences in commuting has reported that men commute longer distance/time than do women, and one explanation for this gender gap is based on household responsibilities falling on women. But most of the literature examining gender differences in commuting has not considered the interdependence that exists between the members of couples. We analyze gender differences in commuting time for a sample of dual-earner couples living in Spain, Italy, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, taking into account the inter-relatedness of decisions within couples. We estimate Ordinary Least Squares equations for men and women on commuting time and mode of transport (private, public, and active transport) including own characteristics as well as spouse attributes and commuting choices. Results indicate that the number of children is significantly related to shorter commuting times for female workers in all countries, with no associations found for their male counterparts. In addition, having children is associated with changes in the commuting mode choice of women in Italy, Korea and the UK, but no associations are found for men. Our evidence indicates that, while the presence of children is related to commuting behavior of women, it is not the case for men. Furthermore, we find that couples' decisions on commuting are complementary, which may shed light on their relationship that should be addressed by theoretical models.
    Keywords: commuting, gender differences, dual-earner couples, intra-spousal effects, household responsibilities, Multinational Time Use Study
    JEL: R40 J22 O57 D19
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1307&r=tre
  6. By: Iryna Kosse
    Abstract: Ukraine is a big country with a developed multimodal transport infrastructure that includes a network of roads, railways, airports and seaports, as well as pipelines. In addition, the country has significant infrastructure for electricity generation and distribution, and for gas transportation. Ukraine is an urbanised country, with 46% of its population living in an apartment. The ongoing armed aggression by the Russian Federation has had a significant impact on Ukrainian infrastructure, leading to the destruction of roads, rail tracks, power stations and housing units. Over the next few years, the infrastructure sector will require significant financing, prioritisation and coordination between the Ukrainian government and international actors, based on the principles of multimodality, flexibility, connectivity and sustainable urban mobility. Energy and housing infrastructure should rely on renewable energy sources, distributed generation and energy-efficient housing. In addition, domestic infrastructure policies should be combined with EU infrastructure initiatives.
    Keywords: Ukraine, multimodal transport infrastructure, electricity generation, electricity distribution, gas transportation, Russian Federation, infrastructure destruction, EU infrastructure initiatives
    JEL: R4 Q4 O1 O4 R1 H7
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:pnotes:pn:72&r=tre
  7. By: Krekel, Christian (London School of Economics); MacKerron, George (University of Sussex)
    Abstract: Following early economist Francis Y. Edgeworth's proposal to measure people's hedonic experiences as they go about their daily lives, we use a smartphone app that over eight years randomly asked a panel of 30, 936 UK residents (N = 2, 235, 733) about their momentary feelings and activities to estimate the value of time (V OT), a key input into cost-benefit analyses. Exploiting the randomised timing of surveys for identification, we arrive at a V OT of £12.2 ($15.3) per hour of waiting, £8.4 ($10.5) per hour of commuting, and £17.2 ($21.5) per hour of waiting during commuting (e.g. due to congestion). This resembles estimates from studies using revealed preferences, suggesting that using hedonic experiences leads to similar results as observed behaviour. Our unique data and method also allow us to estimate the V OT for 40 other daily activities as well as their interactions. We are the first to value time (or indeed anything) using hedonic experiences in real-time, which has the potential to value other intangibles too.
    Keywords: value of time, time savings, experience-sampling, experiential valuation, cost-benefit analysis, waiting, commuting
    JEL: R4 D61 I31
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16308&r=tre
  8. By: Shari Eli; Joshua K. Hausman; Paul Rhode
    Abstract: We ask (1) why the United States adopted the car more quickly than other countries before 1929, and (2) why in the United States the car changed from a luxury to a mass market good between 1909 and 1919. We argue that the answer is in part the success of the Model T in the United States and its relative lack of success abroad. Mass production of the Model T began in 1913; by 1917, more than 40 percent of cars on the road were Model Ts. Cross-state and cross-county evidence suggest that the Model T opened up a new market for cars among farmers and in poorer areas of the country. Tariffs and difficulties producing outside Detroit made the U.S. success of the Model T difficult to replicate abroad, even in Canada.
    JEL: N12 N32 N62 N7 N72 N92
    Date: 2023–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:31454&r=tre
  9. By: M. ADAM (Insee); O. BONNET (Insee); E. FIZE (Conseil d’Analyse Économique); T. LOISEL (Insee, Crest); M. RAULT (onseil d’Analyse Économique.); L. WILNER (Insee, Crest)
    Abstract: This article exploits quasi-natural experiments provided by both the 2022 crude oil price surge consecutive to the Russo-Ukrainian war and fuel excise tax cuts in France to infer the price sensitivity of fuel demand. The granularity of bank account data available at the transaction level permits to shed new insights on how to properly disentangle anticipation effects from price effects. After controlling for anticipatory behavior, we obtain a price-elasticity comprised between -0.4 and -0.21. The average elasticity exhibits sizeable dispersion with respect to fuel spending, but varies little with income and location. Counterfactual simulations enable us to assess both financial and distributive impacts of the tax policy at stake as well as its effect on CO2 emissions.
    Keywords: Fuel demand; price elasticity; excise tax changes; anticipatory behavior; transaction-level data.
    JEL: C18 C51 D12 H23 H31 L71 Q31 Q35 Q41
    Date: 2023
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nse:doctra:2023-17&r=tre

This nep-tre issue is ©2023 by Erik Teodoor Verhoef. It is provided as is without any express or implied warranty. It may be freely redistributed in whole or in part for any purpose. If distributed in part, please include this notice.
General information on the NEP project can be found at http://nep.repec.org. For comments please write to the director of NEP, Marco Novarese at <director@nep.repec.org>. Put “NEP” in the subject, otherwise your mail may be rejected.
NEP’s infrastructure is sponsored by the School of Economics and Finance of Massey University in New Zealand.