We used both NHTS and VQS data to examine consumer preferences for hybrid electric vehicles. Our ANOVA results suggest
that vehicle usage is an additional dimension of overall consumer classification because consumers’ profile attributes cannot fully explain differences in vehicle use. Using principal component analysis, 40 consumer profile and vehicle usage
attributes were grouped into 18 distinctive factors such as drivers and vehicles, mainstream family, working class, high income
and education, etc. Key characteristics of hybrid electric vehicle drivers were identified by comparing the mean factor
scores within the hybrid and conventional driver groups, which laid the foundation for segmenting the market based on both
consumers profiles and vehicle usage. A discrete choice model then allowed analysis of consumers’ preferences for HEVs.