New research from the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has found that behavioral science-based interventions can improve electric vehicle (EV) charging habits, which in turn helps reduce carbon emissions. The studies were conducted in both the United States and Japan and involved a prototype app called ChargeMinder, developed by TRI’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence division.
In the U.S., behavioral interventions led to a 10% increase in charging among plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) drivers. In Japan, both PHEV and battery electric vehicle (BEV) drivers shifted their charging to peak renewable energy hours by 59%, resulting in nearly 30 additional minutes of daytime charging per vehicle each day. The interventions also increased satisfaction among U.S. PHEV drivers by 16 percentage points, reaching full satisfaction.
Dr. Gill Pratt, Chief Scientist for Toyota Motor Corporation and CEO of Toyota Research Institute, stated: “Technology is not the only way to reduce emissions — people’s choices matter too. This research and development shows how science-based behavioral interventions can both help us reduce carbon emissions as much as possible, as soon as possible, and increase customer satisfaction.”
The research highlights that electrified vehicles need to be charged regularly and at optimal times when cleaner energy sources are available in order to achieve their full climate benefit. Without changes in user behavior, vehicles such as PHEVs and BEVs cannot deliver maximum environmental impact.
Dr. Laura Libby, Manager of Carbon Neutrality at TRI’s Human Centered Artificial Intelligence division, commented: “Behavioral science is a powerful, scalable tool to help achieve carbon neutrality. Research in behavioral science shows that small, targeted interventions can have a large impact on people’s decisions and actions. Furthermore, compared to other causes of behavior change such as public charging infrastructure initiatives and consumer financial incentives, behavioral interventions are inexpensive and can be deployed quickly.”
ChargeMinder incorporates more than a dozen behavioral science interventions tailored for specific goals related to EV charging behavior change. These include just-in-time reminders—found to be up to 50% more effective than generic prompts—positive reinforcement through streaks and summaries, encouraging messages, and educational quizzes based on memory science principles. The app uses data from various sources such as vehicle telematics and charging locations while maintaining user privacy.
TRI plans to continue its work with Toyota’s Carbon Neutral Center by focusing on personalized data-driven interventions that support consistent EV charging practices aligned with Toyota’s global carbon neutrality strategy.
Manabu Handa, Assistant Manager at Toyota Motor Corporation’s Carbon Neutral System Planning Department added: “This work emphasizes the importance of incorporating behavior change as a key part of a decarbonization strategy. We need to build technologies that bridge the gap between human behavior and carbon reduction.”
Both studies used randomized controlled trials involving EV drivers from 12 different brands. More information about TRI’s research can be found at http://tri.global.
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