Yongzhong Wu

Purpose: This study investigates the influence of key electric vehicle (EV) design attributes on consumer preferences in the Chinese market, addressing a research gap in existing literature that emphasizes macro factors like subsidies and infrastructure over product-specific design features. Design/methodology/approach: A survey-based approach was employed to collect data on consumer preferences for driving range, autonomous driving level, acceleration time and electric interior amenities level. Mixed logit models were used to analyze consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for these attributes, offering a nuanced understanding of their impact. Findings: The results indicate diminishing returns for improvements in driving range and acceleration performance, suggesting limited additional consumer value beyond specific thresholds. Level 3 autonomous driving emerged as a critical design priority, reflecting its strategic importance in consumer decision-making. Furthermore, consumers showed a stronger preference for enhanced over luxury interior amenities, underscoring the need for practical, value-driven design features. Originality/value: Unlike previous studies that predominantly focus on external macro factors, this research provides a product-centric perspective by quantifying the effects of EV design attributes on consumer preferences. The findings offer actionable insights for manufacturers, enabling them to optimize product offerings to align with consumer demands and support the broader adoption of EVs in the Chinese market.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in shipping have been receiving growing concerns in the maritime industry. Recently, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is considering the introduction of a global shipping carbon tax, which has become the most talked-about topic in both industry and academia. To assess the potential impact of the carbon tax on maritime trades, a trade-volume-based model of shipping carbon emissions was developed. Considering that bulk shipping is the second-largest carbon emitter in the maritime industry and the low value-to-weight nature of bulk cargoes, the model was applied to analyze the dry bulk trade in China, one of the leading countries in the global dry bulk trade. The results show that the introduction of the carbon tax could have significant impacts on freight rates and commodity prices. Depending on the trading regions and the carbon charges, shipping freight rates would increase by 10–30%, which is equivalent to 1–4% of the trading prices. Additionally, since shorter shipping distances may have less emission per trading tonnage, the shipping carbon tax may significantly change the dry bulk trade patterns, resulting in China’s increasing reliance on nearby countries, e.g., India and Australia, for the import of key commodities. These findings can help shipping companies and sectors make better carbon reduction responses, such as redeploying their fleets, promoting the development of low-carbon shipping technologies, and increasing investments in Australia, as well as South and Southeast Asia.

As electric vehicles have become increasingly popular in recent years, battery swapping technology has been promoted as an alternative to the time-consuming battery charging process. Nevertheless, battery swapping is held back by the trade-off between the additional battery investment and the short service time for users. In this paper, we developed simulation models to analyze the economics of battery swapping systems. In particular, we collected real data from eight battery swapping stations Guangzhou, China for the analysis. The results show that the service levels of the stations are reduced significantly as the number of users increases. On the other hand, economies of scale exists when implementing the battery swapping system. As the number of users increases, to maintain the same level of service level, the cost of the batteries shared by each user decreases. The analysis also suggests that, given the scale of potential users for an area, the marginal utility of increasing the number of stations will diminish. Finally, to maximize the utility and economic return of the service, we identified that there is a trade-off between the number of stations and the amount of batteries equipped in each station.

This paper studies the channel strategies for a hotel considering alternative online distribution channels. The decision for the hotel involves whether to rely on direct booking via its official website or cooperating with an online travel agent (OTA), and if the latter is suggested, what business model to be adopted for the cooperation with the OTA. Three mathematical models, i.e., direct booking model, OTA merchant model, and OTA agent model, are developed to evaluate the costs and benefits in the three different cases. The negotiation process in the OTA agent model is studied by using the generalized Nash bargaining solution. The optimal decisions and profits are analyzed with respect to the values of key parameters. Results of numerical examples are discussed to show the implications of the established models.