Driving Factors for Women's Switch to Electric Vehicles in Conservative Kuwait

Abstract

Electric Vehicles (EV) is probably the most disruptive and innovative product since the introduction of a smart phone in 2007. However, attitude of women towards (EV) in oil rich and conservative countries like Kuwait has not been explored. The aim of this research is to bridge that gap with this study that employed a quantitative method, that is a questionnaire of 234 women drivers. Results showed that more than half of participated women would buy an EV within the next 3 years, if several conditions were met; including cheaper purchasing pricing with government assistance and availability of suitable infrastructure for EV relating to charging stations, fast lanes, and free parking spaces. More than forty percent of the participants would also seriously start thinking about buying EV if the gas/fuel prices increase between 50% to 199% and thought that EVs are safer in relation to fire and car crashes. Moreover, they would pay 6%-20% more for an EV that is both environmentally friendly and much quicker than gasoline cars. In addition, about forty percent of women drivers would be able to charge EV in their residential areas in Kuwait. This study discussed a variety of valuable suggestions to overcome the barriers of EVs introductions to Kuwait and marketing strategies altogether with government initiatives and policies. One of the key conclusions is the fact that focused educational efforts should be undertaken to help female owners in Kuwait to understand better the benefits and the overall potential of EV.

Evaluating Kuwait’s Electric Vehicle Lag: In-Depth Analysis of Owner Experiences, Dealer Perspectives, and Policy Recommendations with Local Data Insights

“…This group favors the soundless engine and lack of maintenance due to its environmental friendliness. The majority of Tesla model Y and model 3 drivers are male, as women in Kuwait are reluctant to purchase vehicles without a dealership [8][9][10][11][12].…”

Reasons Why Only Kuwaiti Citizens Drive Electric Vehicles despite Being Only a Quarter of the Population

“…This study had three goals: (i) to examine Kuwaiti ICE vehicle drivers' indicated perceptions of EV attitudes; (ii) to identify their preferable EV features; (iii) to determine their prospective EV purchase requirements and conditions. This research is part of a larger initiative that examines the EV landscape in Kuwait and utilizes a mixed-methods approach [48].…”