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Author Information

Jonathan Svoboda
Derek Lagasse

Abstract/Description

Consumers today face an ever-increasing number of choices when deciding what purchases to make. Nowhere is this more apparent than the market for vehicles. Many factors affect a consumer’s ultimate decision of what vehicle to purchase or lease. Further, electric vehicles present the consumer with additional unique considerations. This study evaluates the decision making process used by consumers in purchasing an electric vehicle. The decision making units (DMUs) used in this research include manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), range in miles, miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), cargo space in cubic feet, and charge time in hours. These variables are factors commonly of interest to consumers. Further, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been applied to determine the relative efficiencies of twelve consumer electric vehicles currently on the market; eight electric vehicles were found to be efficient choices and four were found to be inefficient. Included in this study are suggestions on how auto manufacturers can improve the efficiency of vehicles deemed inefficient.

Note on the Author

Jonathan Svoboda and Derek Lagasse are both seniors majoring in Business Management with a concentration in Operations. Derek is also a certified student flight instructor at Bridgewater State University. Their collaborative research project was completed in Fall 2015 under the mentorship of Dr. Xiangrong Liu (Management). They presented this research at a poster session at BSU’s 2015 Mid-Year Symposium.

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.

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