Personal preference or system role? Battery swapping among UK electric vehicle users
Abstract
Battery swapping replaces a depleted EV battery with a charged one, reducing waiting time and enabling off-peak charging. Evidence on acceptance, however, remains concentrated in Asian markets, and most studies examine individual adoption intentions. This study asks whether current UK EV users judge swapping differently as a purchase option and as a technology for the transport system. Using Behavioural Reasoning Theory, an integrated choice and latent variable model, and latent class analysis, we analyse perceived usefulness, energy-system concerns, practical barriers, and satisfaction with current charging. Usefulness and energy-system concerns relate more strongly to expectations about the system. Battery compatibility and station coverage relate more strongly to personal preference, while spare battery costs relate to expectations about network viability. User groups differ in how they balance benefits, barriers, and satisfaction with existing charging. Policy should address driver barriers and network viability as distinct but connected priorities.
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BibTeX
@misc{parmar2026personal,
title = {{Personal preference or system role? Battery swapping among UK electric vehicle users}},
author = {Janak Parmar and Huseyin Ayan and Dilum Dissanayake and Margaret Bell},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.37269},
eprint = {2610.37269},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.37269},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Personal preference or system role? Battery swapping among UK electric vehicle users
AU - Janak Parmar
AU - Huseyin Ayan
AU - Dilum Dissanayake
AU - Margaret Bell
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.37269
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.37269
AB - Battery swapping replaces a depleted EV battery with a charged one, reducing waiting time and enabling off-peak charging. Evidence on acceptance, however, remains concentrated in Asian markets, and most studies examine individual adoption intentions. This study asks whether current UK EV users judge swapping differently as a purchase option and as a technology for the transport system. Using Behavioural Reasoning Theory, an integrated choice and latent variable model, and latent class analysis, we analyse perceived usefulness, energy-system concerns, practical barriers, and satisfaction with current charging. Usefulness and energy-system concerns relate more strongly to expectations about the system. Battery compatibility and station coverage relate more strongly to personal preference, while spare battery costs relate to expectations about network viability. User groups differ in how they balance benefits, barriers, and satisfaction with existing charging. Policy should address driver barriers and network viability as distinct but connected priorities.
ER -