Master thesis
Total cost of ownership as a tool for the public
An exploratory study and web tool that helps car buyers calculate and visualise the total cost of owning a battery electric vehicle.
Sustainability and the role of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the shift to more sustainable transportation are gaining more and more attention. Yet only 4.3% of new passenger car registrations in Sweden were BEVs in 2019. High purchase prices are considered a major barrier — but the purchase price alone does not reflect what the consumer pays for owning a vehicle. From a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) perspective, BEVs can be cheaper than internal combustion engine vehicles, and a lack of knowledge about TCO can lead to uneconomical purchase decisions.
The thesis reports on an exploratory research process including the development and user study of a TCO tool aimed at the public. Based on an iterative design process, a web application was developed to help car consumers calculate and visualise the TCO of new passenger cars. It was then used in a user study with think-aloud evaluations and semi-structured interviews.
The study suggests that a TCO tool can make users aware of the cost benefits of owning a BEV. More research is needed to understand whether this realisation is enough to affect BEV purchases.
