1.c. Compatibility
Compatibility is also a relevant component. Owning and driving a car – nowadays possibly more than before -
seem to be related to particular values and norms: ‘Is it still responsible that we sit alone in our car?’ ‘Are we
irresponsible because we are driving a big car’ ‘We should drive a clean car’. A car is also appealing to values of
‘freedom’ and ‘individuality’. ‘I don’t like to adapt myself to schedules’, ‘’I don’t like to sit among people I
don’t know’, ‘I have the feeling that public transport is not hygienic, I feel a bit dirty after using it’. Respondents
also recognized the symbolic function of their branded cars as an expression of values in line with their selfimage
(sporty, assertive, adventure, harmony).
The compatibility with current cars with a combustion engine is referred to as good (previous experience).
Everyone sees that the proposed vehicle is a car. ‘It has four wheels and a steering wheel.’ The car is in line with
the driving system we are familiar with. The current needs of car driving and mobility in general seem to be
relevant to take into account in further research. For instance, public transport doesn’t seem to be able to fulfill
the need of a ‘time waste reduction’. The current mobility system is stressful. ‘I want to go wherever I want
whenever I want, my car is my freedom,’ ‘I want to spent traveling time in a pleasant way.’ ‘I need my car to go
to the supermarket as well as to go to Spain with my caravan.’ One of the first questions asked to the salesman of
the Toyota Prius is: ‘Is this car equipped with a towbar?’ They worried about the compatibility of the charging
system with the current system. ‘Can the car be charged in a kind of petrol station?’ Other worries referred to the
‘pleasure’ aspect. ‘How fast can we drive with the electric car?’