Acceptance of Electric Ride-hailing under the New Policy in Shenzhen, China: Influence Factors from the Driver’s Perspective

Abstract Electrifying ride-hailing vehicles is a viable option to achieve the sustainable development of ridesharing industry. Under the background of the new policy in Shenzhen, this study explores the factors that affect the acceptance of electric ride-hailing (ER) by electric ride-hailing driver (ERD) and fuel or hybrid ride-hailing driver (FHRD). Then, the influence of the new policy on drivers’ operation decisions (the driver’s intention to leave the ride-hailing business) is further analyzed. The results show that: (1) the high fuel cost will increase FHRDs’ acceptance of ER, while this variable is not significant for ERDs, instead, the long charging time will significantly reduce ERDs’ acceptance. (2) The negative impact of insufficient endurance mileage for drivers during operating ER is not as large as previously thought (before using ER). (3) The drivers with lower education level are less likely to leave the ride-hailing business, although their acceptance for ER is lower than those with higher education level. (4) The full-time drivers without local registered permanent residence are less likely to leave the business, while the drivers whose vehicles come from private car are more inclined to leave the business. Finally, some policy suggestions are proposed to improve drivers’ acceptance for ER.