Abstract

The introduction of sustainable technology in passenger vehicles has seen limited growth over recent years. This may be partly due to the social misconceptions that green technology lessens the excitement of motoring and will ultimately reduce the performance of a vehicle. Although people are aware of the environmental issues around motoring, few are willing to sacrifice performance for fuel economy benefits and environmental sustainability. The reality is that many sustainable technologies, if implemented correctly, will not hinder performance and in some cases can increase vehicle performance. Key to successfully developing and implementing these technologies is to understand the value consumers put on vehicle attributes regardless of any particular preconceived views. It is suggested that when a consumer is asked to rate a set of attributes, they will mark down what they believe they think is important. The reality may be that subconsciously they are linking one attribute with another, skewing the results. An example of this effect would be the preconception that sustainable technology will negatively impact the performance of a vehicle, thereby influencing the decision making process. A more realistic approach to understanding consumer attitudes is through conjoint analysis. Using conjoint analysis it is possible to assess the real level of importance consumers put on product attributes. A conjoint analysis study has been carried out in the UK automotive industry, in particular within the sports car market. The results of this were used to form a simulation tool. This was used to investigate the likely effect of introducing three environmentally friendly vehicles to the UK niche vehicle sports car market.