Purchasing Decisions for Electric Cars: New Study Recommends Combining a CO₂ Price with Climate Information
2026-08-18 Researchers from Leuphana University of Lüneburg, the University of Basel, the University of Hamburg, and Delft University of Technology have jointly investigated how climate policy measures influence purchasing decisions for electric cars. Using an innovative approach that combines online experiments and simulations, the team analyzed the behavior of 1,589 participants from Mexico, South Africa, the U.S., and the U.K.
The key finding: The combination of a CO₂ price on gasoline and diesel and climate information (e.g., CO₂ labels) has a significantly stronger effect on the willingness to purchase electric vehicles than either measure alone. If both instruments are introduced in a timely manner, they reinforce each other—the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The package of measures is particularly effective when implemented at the right time—while electric vehicles still have a low market share.
The study also shows that climate information that clearly illustrates the emissions reduction potential of electric vehicles compared to internal combustion engine vehicles significantly increases public acceptance of CO₂ pricing. “Public acceptance is considered a prerequisite for effective climate policy. In fact, the relationship appears to work both ways: acceptance influences which measures are implemented. At the same time, well-designed measures can strengthen support for climate policy and thus increase the likelihood that it will endure in the long term,” says Anne Günther, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate at the University of Basel. The simulations make illustrate: A successful mobility transition requires coordinated packages of measures tailored to the specific context.
The researchers recommend combining economic incentives such as CO₂ pricing with behavioral science tools such as climate information and implementing them promptly to increase their impact and public acceptance. “In Germany, too, there is intense debate about how to advance electric mobility. Our results suggest that this debate should focus less on individual instruments and more on the question of how measures can be meaningfully combined. At the same time, the automotive industry must continue to drive technical innovations—particularly regarding range—to enable a widespread market diffusion of electric vehicles,” says Prof. Dr. Ulf Hahnel, head of the Department of Psychology of Sustainability and Collective Action at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
Anne Günther adds: “Psychology helps us understand how people make decisions. It is particularly interesting that, while climate policy measures produce relatively simple effects at the individual level, these effects can vary greatly at the societal level. Our simulations highlight how important it is to consider individual behavior within the context of social and technological dynamics.”