Community knowledge towards electric vehicles and policy part II: A pilot study of Edmonton Height underserved neighborhood in Huntsville, Alabama

Jacob Oluwoye *

College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences, Department of Community and Regional Planning, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama, USA.
 
Research Article
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 2021, 02(02), 126–132.
Article DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2021.2.2.0067
Publication history: 
Received on 26 March April 2021; revised on 03 May 2021; accepted on 06 May 2021
 
Abstract: 
Introduction: Electric Vehicles (EV) are fast emerging globally as a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuel burning cars and  are now being presented as a resolution for the problem of dependence of fossil fuels, increasing emissions, and other environmental issues. 
Purpose and Objective: The study explores the neighborhood knowledge toward green mobility and the objective of this paper is to investigate and examine neighborhood perceptions and understand their knowledge towards the electric vehicle. The research paper goal necessitated the knowledge of the underserved community towards green mobility.  
Methods: Following the literature review research phase, the researcher conducted several semi structured interviews with underserved community. To best augment the quantitative, data were gathered from underserved Edmonton Height community, through the design of questionnaire survey. Data collection took place during the last two weeks of   October 2018. Neighborhood households were approached during the day and evening in their residents using a structured questionnaire. 
Results: The analysis reveals that that 60% of the respondents not aware of plug-in EV incentives (such as tax credit, rebate, high occupancy lane access, reduced tolls, lower vehicle registration rates, or discounted electricity rates) offered by the federal government; their state government; local community; their electricity provider; their employer, while 10% indicated federal government and 10% local community and 5% indicated electric providers, 5% employers and 5% state government. However, the pilot results are a useful estimate of the number of households   residents residing in Edmonton Heights don’t know that plug-in EVs can be recharged from a regular home outlet.  
Conclusion: The paper concludes that the progress that the electric vehicle industry has seen in recent years is not only extremely welcomed, but highly necessary considering the increasing global greenhouse gas levels and it should be noted that a range of technology options is being aggressively explored to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable transport system. Near term, technologies such as EVs can provide sustainable mobility and help alleviate some of the problems created by conventional vehicle powered by fossil fuels. Notwithstanding, the pilot results are a useful estimate of the number of households   residents residing in Edmonton Heights don’t know that plug-in EVs can be recharged from a regular home outlet.
 
Keywords: 
Community knowledge; Electric Vehicles; Electric Vehicle Policy; Underserved Neighborhood
 
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