The characteristics of the demand for electric scooters in Italy: An exploratory study

The paper illustrates a stated choice experiment aimed at understanding the main factors influencing the choice between electric and petrol scooters in Italy. A discrete choice modelling framework is used to assess the role played by the scooter's technical and financial attributes, and the respondents' socio-demographic variables. We performed a stated choice experiment with 518 respondents living in various Italian cities including Rome and Milan, where an electric scooter sharing service is active. We find that purchase price, fuel economy, annual cost of circulation tax and insurance premium, driving range, engine power, manufacturer's country and removable battery are consistently statistically significant across the different specifications. The electric scooter, however, is still characterized by a negative alternative specific constant, signaling a ceteris paribus negative perception relative to the conventional one. Although the national and local governments have undertaken actions to support electric scooters' uptake, the current consumers' preferences indicate that in Italy several non-monetary factors and a still inadequate supply limit the chances that electric scooters will extend significantly their market share.